Static Force
by Jonathan Priest
Summary: After the show 'Power Outage'. The second Big Bang has brought more Bang Babies than before. When Ebon and Hotstreak form a new and more powerful Metabreed, Static and Gear must form a tean of their own. Rating to be safe. Please R
1. Prologue: Power Surge

Timeline: This story is set after the events of Power Outage. Since there was literally a second Big Bang from the docks, how many people were affected. The Meta-breed has returned, and is more powerful than ever. Static and Gear are over their heads with the new threat, so they must look to recruit a team to help. This is a possible 5th Season Story.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Static Shock...I'm just writing this story for my own enjoyment.  
  
# # #  
  
Static Force Prologue: Power Surge  
  
Static had somehow managed to find his way home, parting from his best friend and partner Gear at 52nd Street before struggling through the partially open window that led to his bedroom and collapsing heavily on his plush mattress. Exhaustion had claimed him so fully that he hadn't bothered to remove his costume. Suffering exhaustion beyond endurance and hurting in more places than he knew he had, Virgil cared only about his much-needed sleep.  
  
The events of the night had been nothing short of nerve-wracking and several times during the harrowing adventure, he was sure either himself or Gear or possibly both of them would end up maimed or worse. God only knew how they managed to survive with nothing worse than a few bumps and bruises, and a particularly nasty abrasion down his left arm he suffered from the explosion that ended the near-fatal battle with the fusion monster of Ebon and Hotstreak. But he was alive, his partner was alive and they both had their powers back. For all he knew, Ebon and Hotstreak were still floating around somewhere in the river, but he couldn't think about that now. The only thought consuming his suffering mind was how wonderful sleep would truly feel.  
  
# # #  
  
Francis Stone, a.k.a. F-Stop, a.k.a. Hotstreak, found himself floating nearly two miles from the site of his battle with Static and Gear, the current of the water having carried his unconscious body the entire distance. Only when he began to stir to consciousness, only when his aching muscles began to react did his previously relaxed body sink into the river, causing him to awaken to the violent sensation of drowning.  
  
"What the HELL!" Hotstreak sputtered, coughing large amounts of water from his lungs as he tried desperately to keep his head above water.  
  
"Quiet you fool, you'll get us caught." A second voice said, his hushed tones bringing Hotstreak's attention to the shadowy figure wading in the water some feet away.  
  
Hotstreak glared at Ebon before snarling at the master of shadows. "Aw damn it, you had to go and survive didn't you." He barked before making his way to a nearby storm drain that fed the river. "How'd we get here anyway, and how the Hell did we separate?"  
  
"My guess would be that blast tore us apart. Can't say I ain't at all disappointed either." Ebon responded, ducking his head under the water, only to reappear from the shadows within the storm drain. "One of these days I'm going to get Static...he's messed with my plans for the last time."  
  
"Yeah, why don't you just record that line and keep playing it back every time something gets screwed up."  
  
"The only thing that got screwed up tonight matchstick was you trying to jack the gas. I have half a mind to send you on a one-way trip to China." Ebon barked, glowering at the psychopath in the red hair.  
  
"Uh huh...you sure you don't want to be pointing the finger somewhere else Ebon? Like maybe that feather duster freak friend of yours Talon turning all noble on us. And since you brought her along, that would make it your fault because she had to free Static and Gear. So don't go pointing you damn finger at me!" Hotstreak growled, his body exploding in flames as he took a few angry steps toward the shadowy villain.  
  
Ebon however, was neither intimidated or frightened by the hotheaded pyrokenetic walking towards him. Instead, he raised his hand to slow Hotstreak enough to talk to him some more. "We're doing this all wrong smoky," Ebon said. "I was thinking of something before you started flapping at the mouth. The explosion of the gas was pretty big wasn't it?"  
  
"Yeah I guess. So what?"  
  
"Think about it for a second Hotstreak. There are going to be other Meta- humans resulting from that gas...not to mention the Bang Babies we brought with us. Way I see it, we can either tear into each other all night, or we can find out who's been made into new Bang Babies. Bottom line, we recruit em and restart the Meta-Breed. But this time we do it right. The reason Static always beat us, was there were four or five little groups. This time, we bring it all together, one group, big enough to take the city apart, and Static along with it."  
  
Hotstreak paused and considered Ebon's suggestion, but the trademark hateful expression never left his face. "I hate to say this, but that's not a bad idea Ebon. You're not such a dumb ass after all."  
  
"Of course not, you more than enough dumb ass for the both of us...and your ugly. Now come on, lets find some new blood."  
  
"Wait...WAIT!!! Why the Hell are you in charge..."  
  
# # #  
  
Virgil groaned in painful protest as he slowly roused from sleep. Much of the pain he had felt from the previous encounter with Ebon and Hotstreak had now reduced itself to a dull throb but now his muscles felt wrung out, as if twisted like a sponge to rid the excess water from them.  
  
"Oh good, you're awake." Virgil turned his head groggily toward the door and saw his father standing in the doorframe, a worried expression creasing his paternal features.  
  
"Hey pops. What time is it?" The young man moaned as he struggled to sit up.  
  
"It's 2:30 in the afternoon. It's also Saturday."  
  
Virgil's eyes sprang open as he stared disbelievingly at his father. "What happened to Friday?"  
  
"You slept straight through it. I took the day off of work to keep an eye on you." Robert Hawkins said, his tone shifting from mild relief to deep concern. "You really had me worried Virgil. You have a lot of injuries and I couldn't take you to the hospital. With all those bumps and bruises, the child services people would be asking too many difficult questions." The older man said, entering the room and sitting on the foot of his son's bed.  
  
"I also changed you out of your uniform. I didn't want Sharon to stumble in here and see you wearing that. If she saw it she'd obviously know your Static, and if she were to find out, I think it'd be better if you told her."  
  
"Yeah, I know pops." Virgil said, still struggling to keep the room in focus but trying to hide it from his father. "Ritchie and I managed to stop Ebon and Hotstreak, we also got a second blast of the gas, so we got our powers back. So at least Dakota will be safe again, huh?"  
  
"Sometimes I wonder son." His father said, staring hard at the floor before sighing deeply. "I can't help but worry about you every time you go out there, do something dangerous. It scared me to no end when I saw you in the condition you were in, I could have lost you son and that terrifies me more than I can even contemplate.  
  
"But I also can't deny that I'm very proud of you; you and Ritchie both. You have been given a gift, and your using that to make people's lives better. That's a great amount of responsibility, even for an adult. But the two of you are committed to making a difference. So it would be selfish of me to want you to stop because I worry about you. I know you'll do the right thing, and that makes me very proud. So just make me one promise. I'm not going to ask you to quit, but if things ever get too difficult for you to handle, then come talk to me. It may not be much, but that's all I can do for you."  
  
"Sometimes pops, superheroes aren't the ones in the costumes and powers." Virgil said as he hurriedly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "But don't feel overwhelmed if I take you up on that offer." The teenager said, smiling at his father.  
  
"You better," Rising to his feet and leaning over to kiss his son's forehead, Robert turned back to the door. "I'll get you something to eat and then you can get some more rest. And by the way, you're grounded for a week. At least until I know all your injuries are healed."  
  
"Sure pops," Virgil laughed slightly at his fathers concern. "And dad...thanks."  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: Yeah, this is only a prologue so it might be a bit boring...but I've got some things planned for our amazing duo to face, so this story will feature new and old characters. Hope you enjoyed. 


	2. Welcome to My Nightmare

Disclaimer: Just for the sake of no longer disclaiming at the beginning of every chapter, I don't own Static Shock. This whole story is simply a work of my imagination, and though a few characters to appear are my own creations, the familiar characters aren't mine. Please remember that when reading this story.  
  
# # #  
  
Static Force Chapter 1: Welcome to My Nightmare  
  
"What's the world coming to?" Sharon Hawkins demanded from the living room of the home she shared with her father and brother, holding a particularly wrinkled blouse in her hands as she continued to shake the delicate garment in response to her anger.  
  
"I spent 20 minutes in line to purchase this blouse, and then when I finally get to the cashier they tell me the sale ended yesterday and charged me an extra $30! If that was the case then they should have taken the sale signs down. But do they give me the sale price for the hassle? NO!"  
  
Virgil sat on the soft and, what he often thought to be, overly comfortable sofa, his arms folded across his chest and his eyes closed as he tried desperately to ignore the ranting tirade of his sister's most recent life- altering crisis. Having spent the past five days at home on his father's instructed grounding, these emotional outbursts of his sisters were all but a daily occurrence. Truthfully, Virgil expected he could have set his watch by her tirades.  
  
So was the course of his life these past days, and despite having adjusted the volume of the television in a failed attempt to drown out his sister, he found himself rolling his eyes behind his closed eyelids, hoping his father could in some way placate her temper. If only he had school to go to, but summer had taken away perhaps his only escape from the drama of his sister's life.  
  
"What does it take to get good service?" Virgil's eyes sprang open at the sound of the words, for the statement hadn't come from his sister but from the television. On the screen, a small Channel 8 news logo in the lower right corner, was Hotstreak, terrorizing what appeared to be patrons of the Dakota Heights Mall.  
  
"All I want when I order a Cherry Icy is cherry...not Cherry Cola. You stupid people can't even get a simple order right can you?" Hotstreak snarled, blasting apart a large portion of the wall of Karlie's Food Shack with a well-placed blast of fire.  
  
The initial shock of seeing Hotstreak dissolve large portions of the mall's food court on television was coupled by the shock of seeing Hotstreak at all. The last time Virgil had seen the temperamental pyromaniac was when he had fused with Ebon. The fact that he was now at large and incinerating massive portions of the mall meant he had somehow separated from the other villain. Regardless of the dramatic reemergence of Hotstreak, Virgil couldn't let the raging psycho continue.  
  
"Uh, pops..." Virgil began, worried about interrupting his sister when she was rolling into the argument lest she turn her fury toward him. "I just remembered I promised to meet Ritchie, we were going to clean up the center today, remember?"  
  
Mr. Hawkins turned to face his son curiously before his eyes flashed to the screen of the television. A frown of deep worry creasing his features, Mr. Hawkins weighed the potential risks of his son's alter life verses the as of yet, still recovering injuries. Biting his lip in his own nervousness, Virgil's father nodded one, his eyes screaming a need to say something fatherly to his son, but unwilling to do so with Sharon in the same room.  
  
"Thanks pops, I'll be back before dinner." Virgil said, jumping to his feet and racing up the stairs to his room to grab his duffel bag before heading out of the house.  
  
"I've never seen him that eager to do chores." Sharon said suspiciously, watching her brother run from the house.  
  
"Anyway sweetheart, what were you saying about the cashier?"  
  
# # #  
  
Virgil had long since left the ground, replaced in form and attitude by Static, as the young hero raced toward the Dakota Heights Mall. He had already radioed Gear and asked his partner to meet him in route so they could coordinate their attack. Hotstreak wasn't what he'd considered a viable threat, but he also wasn't the type to pose for the camera. His newfound glory-seeking actions didn't make sense, and certainly didn't ease Static's mind. If Hotstreak was crass enough to commit a crime that open, then he had either finally lost it, or wanted Static to come.  
  
"Yo!" The friendly voice of Static's partner echoed through the air as Gear came up beside his best friend. "So, it looks like the little firecracker finally cracked." Gear joked as they neared their destination.  
  
"Looks like." The young man on the flying board replied, his eyes fixed on the fast approaching mall. "I don't like it Gear, Hotstreak never intentionally calls us out. What's the deal?"  
  
"Maybe he's lonely." The tech-wizard smiled at his own failed attempt at humor. "So, your dad let you out?"  
  
"I got a temporary reprieve for good behavior." Static answered back as he flew up to the roof of the mall to peer into the skylight.  
  
"Hey V, there's something I wanted to ask you." Gear said, his voice growing seriously cautious as he tentatively looked at his partner.  
  
"What's up Rich?" Static turned his head from his attempted observation and looked fully at his best friend. He hadn't noticed before, but saw it now that they weren't flying. Ritchie's skin was a pale, pallid hue and beneath the visor Virgil could see large bags of fatigue under his friend's eyes.  
  
"Uh...have you had any adverse reaction to the gas?" Gear asked cautiously, failing to keep his tone casual.  
  
"Like what?" Static asked, looking closer at his friend and hoping to spot the sudden apprehensions his partner expressed.  
  
"Nah, its nothing, don't worry about it." Gear said distractedly, turning his attention back to the mall and the problem at hand. "Let's say we put Hotstreak on ice."  
  
"Yeah, let's go." Static smiled, yet stole one last look at his best friend before using his powers to magnetically open the skylight. Silently, the two heroes entered the shopping center and began scanning the area, Static using his powers to detect electromagnetic currents of individual aura signatures; Gear using Backpack to survey heat signatures, sound currents and energy spikes throughout the mall.  
  
"The mall looks deserted. Everyone must have scrammed when Hotstreak started his little rampage." Static said, still scanning the stores.  
  
"Not everyone's gone. Backpack is picking up a mass of energy down the south corridor." Gear responded, pointed in the direction of Backpack's signal.  
  
"Man, that's where my favorite video game store is." The lightning powered youth said, charging his board before propelling himself in the direction of Hotstreak, Gear following closely behind.  
  
The two heroes didn't have far to look as they heard the maniacal ranting of the angry young man known as Hotstreak carry on his angry rant for no particular reason than because that was who he was.  
  
"Dirty, rotten, stinking mall! You call these savings?" He screamed at an apparent advertisement for a half price sale on all in stock ladies apparel in a lower level clothing store. He responded to his obvious frustration before sending a burst of searing flames into the store, catching the merchandise in question on fire.  
  
"Wow, what'd you do Hotstreak, slip off your medication again?" Static mocked the temperamental vandal as he landed several feet from the arsonist, Gear by his side. "I wasn't aware you were into women's fashion...and here I thought Francis was just a name your folks decided on to torment you."  
  
"Well, well look who it is, Sparky and Gearbot." Hotstreak snarled, turning to face his enemies, a flaming ball of fire forming in his hand as he measured his foes. "I was wondering what it would take to bring you out here." At this, Hotstreak began tossing the ball of fire in the air, staring down the two heroes like a pitcher preparing to deliver a fastball.  
  
"Well we're here now, so you can stop your little fit." Static said, squaring his shoulders and preparing to combat the pyrokinetic villain. Gear however, tapped Static on the arm and directed his attention to the upper level banister where three others were watching them. Static's eyes went wide as he stared at Ebon, Shiv and Puff, positioned in a triangular flanking formation on the upper level.  
  
"We was wondering what it'd take to bring you out of the woodwork hero," Ebon said, glaring at his prey. "No one's seen you since the incident on the ship, we thought you might not have survived the explosion, but I guess that was too much to hope for."  
  
"Oh, you know me," Static smirked, trying desperately to appear calmer than he was feeling at this moment. "I'm like the Energizer Bunny," he said, sending a blast of electricity at Ebon but only succeeded in blowing a large portion of the upper level floor away. "I keep going and going." Jumping on his board, Static propelled himself to the second level to battle the three foes.  
  
Gear turned his attention back to Hotstreak, ducking just as the fireball he threatened the duo with flew past his head. Mentally ordering the intended arsenal from his portable robot, Backpack extended the long tube from one of its many panels and expelled the foaming liquid onto the burning villain.  
  
"CO2, common component of many household fire extinguishers; pressurized of course." With a smirk at the fallen, smoldering criminal, Gear activated the jets of his boots and flew upwards, intending to assist Static until a large, powerful hand seized his ankle and hurled him into one of the many indoor trees used to decorate the mall.  
  
"Miss me?" Onyx said, lumbering his great, stony mass toward the downed hero.  
  
"Yeah, but my aims improving."  
  
# # #  
  
Static was having difficulties of his own. He weaved and dodged his body at the various attacks thrown at him, all the while retaliating with poorly aimed assaults of his own. He managed a lucky blast that knocked Shiv off his feet. Puff, however had taken his place in the battle and began firing clouds of acid at the annoying hero.  
  
He spun his board in a spiral, dodging the coming strikes before landing a well placed, if not lucky Taser Punch to Puff's jaw, knocking her against the far wall. Yet no sooner had he finished his attack than Ebon emerged behind him, expanding his body and delivering a heavy blow to the center of his back.  
  
Knocked off balance and heavily winded, Static struggled to right himself before Shiv leapt atop the banister rail and lunged himself at the hero, kicking him in the chest. Thrown backwards by the force of the attack, Static's body felt as if it were snapped in half as he struck the second floor railing and tumbled in an uncontrolled freefall that stopped as he abruptly slammed into the ground below.  
  
Coughing heavily as a stream of blood spat from his mouth, the suffering hero was sure he'd broken a couple of ribs. 'Pops is going to kill me.' He thought weakly, struggling to remain conscious as he felt the body of his partner slam into him, the heavy footfalls of the stone-like Onyx jarring him with every step.  
  
"You see hero," Ebon stoked the advantage, glaring over the upper floor railing, "You're looking at the new and improved Meta-Breed. And this is just the beginning. We're going to own this town, and with you out of the way, there ain't no one to step up."  
  
Static heard Gear groan somewhere beside him, but couldn't focus his vision to find his friend. All he could see was the dark shadowy figure of Ebon walking towards him, Puff, Onyx, Shiv and a fully dried Hotstreak following behind. "It's over hero."  
  
'Yep,' Static thought to himself, 'Pops is really going to be pissed.'  
  
-To be continued  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: First, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my prologue, I know it didn't have much action but it just set the stage. After all, reviews are what help feed every fan fic writer's interest in continuing a story, so from everyone's reviews; I'm most interested in keeping this up. Again, a big thank you. Next, don't think that this is all I have planned for the Meta-breed. There are going to be more members joining them and more destructive forces at work. Mostly, I'm going to have characters from the TV. Show but I do have some interesting originals I'm bringing in as well. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this and thanks for any reviews, ideas, suggestions or critiques you may have. 


	3. Repercussions

Disclaimer: Disclaimed.  
  
A/N: Another chapter, yet how could I not with so many great reviews. Speaking of reviews...again, thank you everyone who has taken the time to read and review my story. Oh, and as for the review submitted by Anonymous, you have no idea how close your suggestions are to what I've already planned. Now, on to the story.  
  
# # #  
  
Static Force Chapter 2: Repercussions  
  
Teresa Gardner made her way home at a brisk pace, a shudder a fear and apprehension painting her eyes as she tried to hide the sense of utter horror from the average passerby on the somewhat crowded street. Average was how she liked it. Since her body had returned to normal, the feathers having disappeared with her powers, she was happily, unerringly average...and that was how she wanted it.  
  
But that hadn't stopped the fear. Fear that caused her to jump at every little shadow, half expecting it to be Ebon calling her back or wanting revenge for her betrayal. The shiver that ran up her spine whenever a strange noise that held no source echoed in the dead of night. But those were merely her waking fears and never touched upon the nightmares that plagued her dreams. For now, she was living one such nightmare.  
  
Reaching her house at a near run, Teresa entered the one-story, two bedroom home she shared with her mother and sister; the same home she had not seen in nearly a year and a half. As a child, she never minded living in the projects. But growing older she was greeted by the harsh reality of teenage cruelty. Harassed and ridiculed by her classmates for the clothes she wore, she often found herself wishing her family could have the money to afford a decent life. But wishes, like dreams, abandon everyone.  
  
It wasn't her fault that her father abandoned them when she was too young to remember the man. Nor was it her fault that her mother had been forced to work in the corner convenient store to provide barely enough money for the three of them to survive. But her lack of fashionable attire and poor upbringing made her a target of all of her classmates. That day, the day of the Big Bang, had been a horrible day at school. And so having cried herself dry, she made her way along the docks to clear her mind, and met with the strange mutating gas that altered her body. If her classmates mocked her for her clothes, they'd never let her survive High School after having sprouted feathers. Knowing that, she ran away from home and found companionship in the only place she knew, with Ebon's gang of freaks and miscreants.  
  
But that was a lifetime ago, and a hundred or more evil deeds and one good one she performed in the hopes of redeeming herself. She was normal now, back with her family where she was loved for who she was, not what brand name was on her jeans. But as she entered the bedroom she shared with her sister, she closed the door and hurried towards the mirror, quickly pulling the hem of her cotton shirt up just above her stomach. The sight caused her heart to stop with a sudden, fearful realization as she stared at the three feathers that had sprouted from her skin.  
  
"No," Teresa said, her breath coming in quick, rapid gulps as she saw the horrifying truth before her. "Oh God no...don't let it happen again. Please God, don't do this to me again." She begged as she stared at the truth before her, no longer able to see her image in the mirror through the tears that clouded her eyes. "NOOOOOO!"  
  
# # #  
  
Static knew he had had better days than this. Not only did Ebon, Hotstreak and company, ambush him but he was foolish enough to allow himself to fly right into it. To top it all off, he and Gear had apparently lost the fight, being outnumbered and outmaneuvered in the battle he was sure lasted far shorter than he was willing to admit.  
  
For one fleeting moment he imagined this was only a bad dream, but the coppery taste that continued to taint his tongue destroyed those illusions as the burning pain in his side brought his mind into sharper focus.  
  
'Oh yeah,' Static nearly laughed at the thought that had slipped from his mind and returned fully with the nauseous wave of pain. 'They're going to kill us.'  
  
"Any last words before I send you to the big light bulb in the sky heroes?" Ebon mocked, coming to stand mere feet from the fallen companions.  
  
"Yeah, I got something to say." Gear moaned and he struggled to his knees, his head swimming with the need to pass out, but his will keeping his mind focused. "I'll give you guys one chance to surrender."  
  
The combined laughter of the five villains caused Static's head to feel as if it were about to split in half. The pain in his body was horrifying, but he struggled inch-by-inch to turn his head to face his partner.  
  
"I have to admit Gear, you got clusters the size of bowling balls talking back like that. I admire that. Don't think that I'm not still going to kill ya because I am. But thanks for the laugh." Ebon sneered, his eyes squinting to mere slits as he glared down at his prey.  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Gear managed to spit the words out despite his weakened state, and his with left had he clutched the shoulder of Static's jacket, gripping a handful of the material tightly. "Hold on V!"  
  
With his free hand, Gear reached to the collar of his suit and pulled it away just enough to reveal the black chocker beneath, a strange, pulsating gemstone illuminating the spot within the center of the material. With what little he had left of his quickly fading strength, Gear tore the material away, and unleashed Hell.  
  
It was a power that Static had never seen and could only describe as a mating of the forces of nature with an act of God. The energy that was released from the tech-genius blasted everything within the vicinity; benches, store merchandise, trash receptacles and villains, and spun them all in a swirling storm of temporal forces Static was unable to fathom. And at the eye of the storm was Gear, his body shaking violently as he tried desperately to control the surging power.  
  
But just as quickly as it began it ended, the power having overcome Gear as he fell to the floor. Objects both organic and inorganic fell haphazardly from whatever position they currently occupied in the torrent air and landed in a great heap on the ground. The disabling distraction had given Static enough time to collect himself as he painfully rose to his feet and pocketed the strange necklace Gear had torn from his neck.  
  
Shaking his head in confusion of what just happened and regretting it horribly from the headache that resurfaced, the electric-powered teenager leaned carefully over his partner and checked his condition. Satisfied that Gear was merely unconscious, Static used his left hand to summon his flying disk and gently lifted Gear to a standing position with his left arm, his right being held closely to his side to protect his injured ribs.  
  
As he watched the Meta-breed beginning to rouse from their unexpected trip to Oz, Static hoisted his partner over his left shoulder and stepped carefully on his board to center his gravity before taking off. He was badly injured, Gear was unconscious and there was no way he could defeat the Meta-breed should they fully awaken. All that could be done was admit defeat and determine the next move.  
  
But for now that next move was to get back to the gas station and check their injuries, and he knew he had to hurry as the pain in his side threatened to overtake him. He was surprised when he made it back to headquarters faster than expected, though he couldn't help but think that his distracted thoughts made the journey go so much faster.  
  
Ebon had brought together a team that, on solo occasions had caused him and Gear a great deal of trouble, but now were banded together with one purpose in mind, to destroy him. He wasn't thrilled with that thought at all.  
  
Entering the gas station and thankful to rid himself of the burden of Gear's weight, Virgil took his mask off and collapsed on the couch, wincing horribly at the pain of his injuries. With great difficulty he removed the choker from his pocket and struggled to put it back on Ritchie. He had some idea that whatever happened at the mall was the result of removing the necklace, thus keeping it attached might prevent the same catastrophe from occurring here.  
  
Once satisfied his best friend was comfortable, Virgil struggled to remove his coat and looked worriedly at the bloodstain that had bled through his shirt. Placing his left hand over the spot of his injuries and pressing in an attempt to stop the trickle of blood, the young man had to bite his lip to keep from screaming in pain.  
  
"Damn it!" He moaned as he fell to the side and landed against the desk to steady himself. "Oh Hell...that hurt bad."  
  
"I can imagine." The slow, croaky voice of Gear speaking from the couch drew Virgil's attention from his own pain. "I wouldn't recommend doing that again V."  
  
"Yeah, I can imagine you wouldn't." Virgil said, coughing slightly and spitting a trickle of blood from his mouth. "I feel awful."  
  
"I'm not much better I'm afraid. That took a lot out of me." Gear said weakly, trying to sit up before finally reserving himself to remain laying down.  
  
"So what exactly was that?" Virgil asked his friend, his eyes studying the prone form of his partner.  
  
"Remember when I asked you if you had any adverse reactions to the gas?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"That was the adverse reaction I was referring to." Gear said, removing his helmet to make himself a bit more comfortable.  
  
"So what was it?"  
  
"Telekinesis, or in laymen's terms, a shit storm." Ritchie replied, holding his forehead and kneading it with his hand in an attempt to ease the pain.  
  
"But you never got that from the gas before? Why now?"  
  
"I never had that reaction to the gas before because I never had contact with the gas to begin with bro." Ritchie chuckled as he stared at the confused look on his best friend's face. "Remember, I became a Bang Baby off the gas you carried on your clothes. With the time between the Big Bang and meeting up, most of it probably dissipated in the air, so I got only a small dose of it, or more precisely, I got it second hand.  
  
"But on the ship, I got the full blast of the gas, and as you can see, what happened back there was the result." Ritchie said, bringing his hands to his eyes and forcefully rubbing them the balls of his hands in an effort to bring the room into clearer focus.  
  
Virgil furrowed his brow as he stared at the suffering youth, trying to make sense of the situation. "So what's with the necklace thing?" He asked, chuckling now himself as he watched Ritchie's hand go instinctively to his neck. "Don't worry bro, I put it back on. Something told me it was probably what I needed to do."  
  
"No kidding." Ritchie sighed as he returned to his relaxed position. "I made this a while back, when I first got my powers. It's a Power Inhibitor, and helped me control the hundreds of ideas and thoughts that were flooding my mind. Well now I use it to control the telekinesis."  
  
"Do you really need that thing though?"  
  
"Yeah I do." The blond haired boy sighed. "Do you remember when I first got my powers and I told you that my mind felt like it was on fire? That I had a thousand different ideas popping in my head every minute. Well now it's worse. When I actually got a blast of the gas itself, I became twice as smart as I was before. The average person only uses between 10-12% of their brain. At my present capacity I'm using about 38%, and it may be more as the gas works its way into my system."  
  
"Damn Rich, just how powerful are you?" Virgil asked; shocked and stunned at the revelation of the impact the gas had on his friend.  
  
"Not as powerful as you think V, certainly not as powerful as you. The difference is you can control your power because you're in control of your mind. Without the inhibitor, my brain is overwhelmed by how active my mind is and I can't focus. So when I took it off, my power went nuts. That's also why I'm looking so tired. Even with the power inhibitor I can't stop all the flooding thoughts and ideas that bounce around inside my head, and because of that I can't sleep. It's not a big deal though; I expect my body will eventually adjust."  
  
"So, can you even do the telekinesis with that necklace thing on?"  
  
"Yeah, but only small objects now, and it can only be solid matter. I can't redirect energy or stuff like that, at least not yet. But I'm not all that crazy to try it out either. Every time I use it my head feels like it's going to split along the seem."  
  
"Well hopefully we won't need to use it again Rich, but it's good to know it's there just in case." Virgil said, wincing after realizing the pain in his side hadn't decreased despite his preoccupation with Ritchie's story. "Dude, we gotta do something to patch ourselves up. We're both in pretty bad shape, not to mention my pops is going to have my hide if I come in looking like this."  
  
Ritchie frowned slightly as he stared at his friend, his mind already working a solution to their current dilemma. Sighing in resignation as if coming to a hard and difficult solution he finally voiced his worrisome response. "Shenice."  
  
"Huh?" The dark skinned young man asked, his eyes staring questionably at his partner as one eyebrow arched as if not understanding he heard him correctly. "What about her?"  
  
"Not her, her parents." Ritchie said as if wondering if this was the right course. Shebang was talented, that neither of them could deny. But it was her gung-ho, over eager personality that caused the duo to put some space between them and her. And Ritchie knew as well as Virgil, that if they involved her parents, they'd involve her. "Dude, her folks are doctors. They could fix us up, and seeing as how their darling little sweetheart is a super hero as well, they're not about to blab. We can trust them to keep all this secret."  
  
"Hold on bro, her folks are scientists. You sure they're going to know how to fix up some scrapes and bruises?"  
  
"Oh, you mean like broken ribs?" Ritchie answered back, cringing himself as he watched Virgil struggle to remain standing and wishing he had the energy to move so he could share the couch. "Besides, their not ordinary scientists, they're genetic engineers, they have to know a Hell of a lot about medicine and biology, at least more than we do. I could probably patch you, if I had a medical book in front of me, but this is the fastest way we can get out of this situation. You don't want to that's fine, but if we go to a normal doctor they'll ask a bunch of questions, and how do you think we could explain this? Dude, you've got broken ribs and I'm lucky if I just have a concussion."  
  
Virgil closed his eyes, wishing the pain would subside long enough for him to come up with an alternative, but nothing presented itself. Coughing heavily as he attempted to sigh, he nodded his head, wishing there was some other way. "Alright, call them in."  
  
# # #  
  
Troy Carlson paced the length of the small, barely habitable living quarters he had called home for the past three months. The South Welmington Federal Penitentiary was anything but habitable; in fact he hated everything about this place. The guards, the walls, the inmates, the food...Hell, he even hated the damn T.V. as it reminded him of freedom.  
  
It wasn't his fault he was here. He blamed it on his former running buddy; former gangbanger turned pro football player, Dule Jones. He tried to squeeze a bit of money the former ganger turned righteous athlete had owed him, but he turned on him, along with a countless number of arena football stars that found the need to gang pile him, not to mention the two flying freaks, Static and Gear.  
  
Yeah, he hated them too. He could use his powers to escape, but what was the point? Everyone from the state police to the F.B.I. would be hunting him down. So he was stuck in this Godforsaken hellhole of a prison, waiting until some idiot bureaucrat realized he only did what he did because he wanted to collect what was his. Dule betrayed him, and that kind of betrayal wasn't excusable by the street code they both lived by before he got famous.  
  
Troy was so wrapped up in his own hate that he was unaware of the growing shadow that inked his way across the floor from beneath his cot. Not until he sensed the presence of another person in his cell did he turn around to face the inky-black shadow of the figure before him.  
  
"Who the Hell are you?" Troy said, taking a few angry steps backwards before exposing nearly one dozen metallic tentacles from his back, preparing to strike out at the intruder should the need arise. Life in prison had taught him to be cautious and never expose his back.  
  
"Easy chief. The name's Ebon." The shadow master said, staring at the villain before him, a smile donning the shadowing image of his face.  
  
"Yeah, well I don't care who the hell you are. I'll give you three seconds to get out before I throw you out!"  
  
"I doubt that junior." Ebon mocked as he slid closer the man before him. "But I'm not here to fight."  
  
Slowly, yet cautiously, Troy retracted the powerful tendrils within his body and stared suspiciously at the intruder. "Then what you want?"  
  
"That depends. If you're named Chainlink, then I have some business I'd like to discuss."  
  
-To be continued  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: I wasn't sure what Teresa and Troy's last names were, they were never given in the cartoons so I made some up. Hope you all like it, and I'm sure you can tell, everything's about to hit the fan...heh heh heh. 


	4. Come What May

Disclaimer: I already disclaimed the whole story but for fear of lawsuit I'm doing it again...heh. I don't own Static Shock, though I wish I had his powers.  
  
Brief A/N: This is the first chapter to involve a new character/bang baby. I hope you guys like him.  
  
# # #  
  
Static Force Chapter 3: Come What May  
  
The sweat poured from her body in the exhilarating shower of exhaustion as she continued her strenuous workout, pushing the limits of her body to the breaking point. For more than three hours she had focused on her workout regiment that included a variety of free weights, aerobics, calisthenics and kickboxing training exercises, and just now had she reached her second wind. This was when she was most alive; feeling the blood pumping through her veins in the unstoppable adrenaline rush of life. Only when in her alternate guise, jumping over rooftops and dodging the variety of attacks her lifestyle threw at her did she feel more animated. To her, this was living.  
  
Finishing the final rep of bench presses that would kill most of the boys in her school should they be foolish enough to attempt to lift the overly weighted barbell, Shenice Vale calmly walked to the waiting water bottle and took a gratifying mouthful of the refreshing liquid. She allowed a moment for the water to cool the inside of her mouth before swallowing, feeling it run the length of her throat and sending a much needed chill down her spine. Setting the bottle down and picking up the slightly damp towel, Shenice began to dry her face and arms before beginning the last of her nightly exercises. She paused a moment, the towel just covering her mouth as she stared at her image in the mirror. One would assume, given the level of exercise she committed herself to every day that her body would be sharply defined with chiseled muscles and bulging veins. But to look at her, no one would realize the strength that existed within her nimble form. Dark, innocent eyes sheltered the truth that she was not entirely human, simply a specimen of genetic engineering crafted to be the perfect human subject.  
  
As she worked herself to become a little stronger with each new day, her thin, lithe frame hid the inhuman strength she possessed. It was her greatest asset against many enemies twice her size to be underestimated, and countless unconscious thugs who broke the law had made that very mistake.  
  
Turning from the mirror to pick up her jump rope, Shenice began her final series of exercises, the rope spinning invisibly fast as she jumped to keep pace. The constant whistling of the cord filled the converted basement turned specially designed workout room as she quickened her pace. It wasn't until she heard her mother's voice at the top of the stairs calling her name that she stopped, losing count and growling slightly that she'd have to restart.  
  
"Shenice!" Her mother called again as the teenager placed the jump rope on the wooden bench and retrieved the towel to pat herself dry.  
  
"Yes mom?" She said, walking to the foot of the stairs and seeing her mother cradling the phone, covering the mouthpiece with her hand.  
  
"You have a phone call."  
  
Eyes opening wide in slight surprise, Shenice walked hurriedly up the stairs to retrieve the phone from her mother. Having returned to Dakota once the corporate kidnappers trying to catch her for the purpose of cloning her perfect DNA were finally caught, she was able to finally be herself. But for reasons she pondered more than she cared to think about, the outgoing, extroverted Shenice was nowhere near as popular as the shy wallflower she had been long ago. She couldn't deny that being shunted aside hadn't hurt horribly, nor could she hide the fact that deep down she was desperately lonely. So when her mother told her she had a phone call, she forgot all manners and quickly snatched the phone from her hand.  
  
"H...hello?" The teenager said, speaking perhaps a bit more eagerly than she intended. When no response on the other end came to her greeting she assumed some cruel person was only playing a vicious joke on her. But despite her fears of being the butt of that joke, she asked again. "Hello?"  
  
"Shenice..." The voice the on the other end of the receiver cracked, as if the person were struggling to speak. "Shenice, you there? It's me, Ritchie."  
  
For the second time tonight in as many minutes, her eyes grew wide in shock as she turned to look at her mother who was smiling at the knowledge her daughter had received a phone call from a boy. Indicating that she would take the call in her room, the energetic teenager quickly ran up the flight of stairs and closed her bedroom door before responding.  
  
"So what's the deal Ritchie? I haven't heard from you guys all summer!" Shenice said, speaking angrily into the phone she paced the length of her room to work off the tension building within her.  
  
"It's been kind of...hectic." He said, attempting to brush aside her anger to address the matter at hand.  
  
"Really! Well that's just great. First you guys wanted me on your team, then you didn't, then you wanted me back again, but you haven't called me for patrol or anything. And now, out the blue you call me back. Look, I'm tired of feeling like the puck on an air hockey table." She said, realizing how stupid that sounded the moment the words escaped her lips.  
  
"Shenice, can we save this for later, Virg and I are in trouble." Ritchie said, coughing slightly as his voice cracked a bit more.  
  
Biting her lip as she hesitated between her desire to stay mad at the two heroes and her sense of duty to them, Shenice swallowed her anger as she spoke quietly into the phone. "Okay Gear, tell me what you need."  
  
# # #  
  
Vanmoor School of Science, headed by Alva Industries, was among the most prestigious and sought-after private institutions in the country. Students from every corner of the U.S. clamored to prove their worth and held their breaths in the hope of being one of the few selected to attend the prominent learning institution. At least that was what Nigel Saunders' parents had told him before uprooting him from his comfortable life in Gotham and transferring him to the on-campus dorms where he would be challenged by other up and coming geniuses.  
  
Nigel was, without question, a great disappointed to those expectations. In his old school, Nigel made outstanding marks, not because he was brilliant, but because his teachers knew he had the potential and worked to bring it out of him. That was why his parents had transferred him to the Vanmoor School of Science in the first place, to challenge him to use his untapped intellect. Little did they understand that the challenge was the last thing he wanted.  
  
His parents were so far beyond average that he himself felt smothered by the shadow of their greatness. His mother, though not yet world-renowned, was certainly well known and respected among her peers. As a foremost authority in the fields of Micro Biology and Chemical Engineering, only his father's accomplishments rivaled those of his mother's. Though not as well known as his mother, his father none-the-less was one of the few people anywhere who truly understood the workings of advanced Quantum Physics and more importantly, could find practical uses for it. It was in no small part that the influence of his parents was the biggest reason Nigel did not just despise science, but outright rejected it.  
  
But despite passing with little more than mediocre grades at Vanmoor, his parents had refused to bring him home, insisting that he was a brilliant young man. Perhaps he was as smart as they believed, after all, with parents who were well on their way to winning a Nobel Prize, how could he not have inherited their intelligence? Simply because life, was at times, ironic that way.  
  
Of course, it wasn't that Nigel wasn't smart; it was simply that his interests lie outside the realm of science. He was, what he often considered, not a dreamer but certainly a dreamer in training. Many times in class, his mind would wander to various self-constructed adventures to fend off his boredom. His homework and studies were often neglected in favor of reading one of many classic novels, Beowulf being among his favorites. It wasn't that he found school boring, life in general, particularly his life, was boring.  
  
In truth it didn't matter whether he lived in Gotham or Dakota, he never seemed to fit in and could never make friends. His mind would wander to far away worlds and outlandish adventures as he spent much of his time daydreaming or reading rather than hanging out at the mall or some other teenage gathering. In truth, people didn't like dreamers, and because of that he preferred his solitude. But alone was a state many would not let him enjoy.  
  
Often ridiculed and bullied by other students because he was both, so different and such an easy target, Nigel was a favorite object for those that wished to be strong by picking on the weak. So on the night of the second Big Bang, while making his way from the library, Nigel met up with one of the many neighborhood bullies who felt compelled to chase him some two miles before finally beating the absentminded dreamer unconscious and leaving him at the southern district docks of Dakota.  
  
When he finally regained consciousness, Nigel could barely see the strange purple mist hanging in the air through his tears of pain and fear. Thinking it was only fog shaded by the nightly darkness, he slowly, painfully made his way back to his school dormitory, unaware that the pain that tore at him wasn't from the beating he received previously that night, but from the mutation of his own body.  
  
The next morning, when he had seen what he had become, Nigel, scared of the nightmare that stared back at him from the mirror, ran from him school. That was nearly a week ago, and though he now found shelter in one of the many abandoned warehouses that peppered the harbor district of Dakota, his burdened tears of grief were his only comfort.  
  
Life was ironic; he knew this by experience from what his life had held over the past week. For as long as Nigel could remember, he felt out of place, as if he were born on the wrong planet or in the wrong time. And more times than he remembered he wished he could escape into the world of his books, become part of the stories he so loved. Yet now, as he had become a monster from those his stories, he wanted only be normal again. That was what was so ironic.  
  
"What am I going to do?" He asked to the empty darkness, unable to accept that even his voice had changed in accordance with new his body. Knowing that both the school was looking for him, as well as that fact that his parents would have been alerted of his disappearance by now and would be coming to Dakota, Nigel felt great waves of disgust at the world he now lived in. Punching a steel support beam in frustration and causing the column to buckle under the massive strain of his powerful fist, Nigel buried his face in one oversized hand and dropped to his knees as the bitter tears found their way from his tormented soul.  
  
# # #  
  
Ebon marched the length of the old subway tunnel that had at one time been the residence of the Meta-breed. Now, with the collection of new members standing about the chamber, it had reclaimed its former status as headquarters. With the exception of Shiv, all other members were new to the Breed, and he was sure he did well in his recruitment.  
  
Though, that wasn't to say there weren't confrontations between them. Shiv took great enjoyment in annoying Hotstreak to the point that the pyromaniac threatened to loose just enough fire on the energy manipulating blade master to leave him burned and screaming. Of course it was a similar threat the angry young man had used on every member of the Breed since joining, but that was just his way of "warming up" to people, as it were.  
  
There were of course others to worry about. The powerfully built Chainlink wasn't one to listen to rules or follow orders without severe protest. Though after a few educational measures conducted by Ebon, he was slowly falling in line. Tamara Lawrence, or Sweetness as she called herself now, was another matter all together. She had trouble focusing on working as part of a team and continued pining over her ex-boyfriend/part-time delinquent Marcus Reed. She couldn't make up her mind between wanting to find him in order to rekindle their relationship or smash him to pudding. Truthfully she was a bit out of hand over her ex-love, though with strength that was perhaps greater than Onyx, she was an asset if for nothing else than pure brute force, and thus her often emotionally-centric preoccupations were easily overlooked.  
  
Of course the fights didn't matter; none of it did really. Hotstreak, Onyx, Sweetness, Chainlink...hell, even Shiv were nothing more than hired muscle. To Ebon, the real prize was Puff. She not only had powers she had yet to fully master, but had a brain for tactics and intelligence for analyzing combat scenarios as well. In fact, it was her idea to ambush Static and Gear at the mall. The rest of the Breed was nothing more than grunts, powerful yes, but grunts nonetheless, which was why he named her as his second. Though he highly distrusted her and the thought of her betraying him was always at the forefront of his mind, he knew she didn't have the power to usurp him, and that was how he would keep her in line. Because when matched against each other, not one of the Breed, with the exception of Onyx, would pick Puff over him.  
  
Ebon apprised each member of his team, scrutinizing their strengths while weighing their weaknesses. Of all the potential Bang Babies, these were, in his opinion, the best at what they did. All they'd need was to focus as a team and they'd own this city. But teamwork was a hurdle that was proving difficult to overcome.  
  
"Damn it ears, your standing in my spot!" Hotstreak screamed, glowering at the tall, gray-skinned monster in the white tank top before him.  
  
"Shut up Hotstreak, you know my ears are sensitive and your constant squawking is only giving me a head ache." Sweetness growled, raising one massive fist threateningly at the pyrokinetic arsonist.  
  
"Hey, knock it off you two. This isn't preschool no matter how immature you act. So both of you be quiet." Puff said, floating between the two of them in an attempt to separate the potential fight.  
  
"Ebon, is this what you have to show me," a new voice entered the chamber as the collected villains turned their attention to the monitor and the elder man's image that covered the screen. "A group of degenerate, hot- tempered thugs whose only usefulness is the power they possess? Thus far I'm not at all impressed."  
  
"Don't think of it as hot-tempered Mr. Alva, think of it as spirited." Ebon replied to the elderly businessman.  
  
"Remember that I'm funding this little operation of yours Ebon. I'm not paying for your wisecracks. Now, is your team assembled?"  
  
"Don't worry Alva, as long as your money's still good, we'll dance to your little tune." Ebon said, a slight smirk flashing across his face before returning to business. "But I still have one person I want to bring in. I've been scouting 'em out for a while and I think they'd fit in nicely. So one more member and we're ready."  
  
"Very well. And Ebon, it's best not to disappoint me." Alva said before the monitor went dead.  
  
The assembled group began clamoring for details of what they had just heard, unaware that the hidden, shadowy figure deep within the rafters, having witnessed the full conversation, had moved from the building and out into the night air, leaving behind a solitary feather as the only sign that she was ever there.  
  
# # #  
  
Edwin Alva reclined his old, tired frame in the uncomfortable yet stylish office chair and closed his eyes as he allowed a brief smile to tug at the corner of his lips. Business, as he knew, was nothing more than a game of chess. Some pieces were more valuable than others, but in the end, strategic sacrifices needed to be made for the conquest of the game. His favorite piece was the pawn, however, as it served no purpose other than to protect those of greater importance, and as that was its only benefit, sacrificing it never bothered him. Yet when one found a group of pawns he could manipulate with greed and power, it made the illusion all the more grand, and victory all the greater.  
  
"We must tread lightly as we proceed." Alva said, rising from his chair and turning to gaze at the skyline of Dakota from his lavishly decorated office. "Soon my beautiful city, I'll have you in my hand, and you will praise me as your savior. It's only a matter of time."  
  
-To be continued  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: Yet another chapter comes to a close. I am sorry not much action happened here but I'm working on setting the scene and getting all the players together does take some time, but I promise you, there will be action forthcoming in the next chapter...and you'll get to see more of Nigel as well. Hee Hee Hee. I also intend to describe what he looks like better, but wanted the illusion of mystery surrounding him. Yeah, I'm evil that way. As always, reviews are very welcomed. Thanks to everyone who reads my stories and hope you guys liked this. I must say, this is becoming a favorite story of mine to write. 


	5. The Beginning

Static Force Chapter 4: The Beginning  
  
The cemetery was hauntingly quiet as Robert Hawkins made his way around the maze of headstones, seeking the one that would provide comfort to his troubled heart within this labyrinth of grief and remembrance. After the ten-minute trek from his car, he came to his destination, pausing before he began speaking softly to the ghosts of his past as he lovingly placed the delicate bouquet of assorted flowers on the headstone of his wife's grave marker.  
  
"Hi Jean," Robert said, unable to keep his eyes from misting over as he spoke to the open air, hoping desperately his voice would find its way to his wife's spirit. "I know it's been a while since I've visited, and I'm sorry. Life just seems to keep pulling the rug out from under me. Of course, you know that already don't you?" He said, chuckling lightly at the sadness that clenched his heart.  
  
"I'm sure you know about both Virgil and Sharon, and I know your watching out for them, and I am glad to know they have a guardian angel who cares so deeply for them. But if you have an extra set of eyes, could you keep an eye out for me too? I know it's selfish, and it's not like me, but I just feel everything is happening too fast.  
  
"Sharon said Adam's heading back to town. Apparently his tour was really successful, but some problems with booking in Gotham caused them to cut it short, so he'll be back before we expected. Not sure if I'm ready for that to be honest. Sharon is under the impression Adam will propose to her when he gets back. He's a good young man, and you'd like him...you'd like him a lot. He had some trouble with his past, but that's behind him now, and Sharon is the biggest influence for that change. The problem I'm having is, I'm not ready to give her up. At least not yet."  
  
Robert paused a moment before continuing, reaching to the edges of the headstone and tearing away the high grass that grew arrant around her marker. "Virgil is another matter all together. Maybe you knew all along the hero he had inside him...after all, he is your son. But I can't help worrying about him. I know he got himself hurt when he went to the mall to stop that metahuman from destroying it, he's been gingerly favoring his right side since he's come back from it. But I'm not pushing him for answers, and maybe I'm making a mistake doing that, but I have to trust him. But it's harder than I expected. The city needs Static to protect it, but I need my son to be safe, and fighting between my need and the needs of the city, well, my own need to protect him is winning out.  
  
"I see so much of you in him, in both our children. And I know they will do anything to protect those in trouble, but I can't help it. I'm scared they'll end up here with you before I will, and I can't live with that. So Jean, please watch out for them. I know you always have, but something inside me is making me worry more every day. I'm proud of our children, and maybe I wasn't prepared for them growing up so quickly, but they're two fine, outstanding young adults. But they're still our children, and I'm still worried about them. The world isn't as safe as it used to be, and both of our kids, in their own way, are fighting to make it better."  
  
Robert chuckled again to himself as he removed his glasses and wiped the unshed tears from his eye with one, thick finger. "Of course, you already know all of that don't you? But, I just needed to talk to you again. I miss you Jean." Robert bent down, kissing two fingers and laying them to rest on his wife's headstone before standing up and turning to make his way out of the cemetery.  
  
Jean Alexis Hawkins  
Loving Wife and Mother  
Devoted Servant of the People  
She will be missed, but not forgotten  
  
# # #  
  
Nigel Saunders made his way menacingly toward the school that had been his home for the past nine months, his great, powerful form attempting to hide in the wooded terrain surrounding the institution as he gazed at his last attempt for salvation.  
  
Since coming in contact with the strange, mutagen gas that altered his physiology, Nigel considered any and all means to revert the changes in his body and make him normal again. He hated the school. Having been accepted only on the name of his parents and mocked and ridiculed by other students, Nigel felt out of place at Vanmoor School of Science, as much out of place as he felt now, a monster trapped in the human world.  
  
But regardless, many of the brightest young minds in the country were in this school, and at least one of them would know how to help him. He'd make them help him. Coming firmly to his decision, Nigel pushed his way out of the forest, snapping more than a few trees as he walked from his wooded hiding space and up the entrance way.  
  
# # #  
  
Static sat against the worn, shredded couch in the hideout Gear and himself often occupied to collectively think of new plans and scenarios when battling Bang Babies. Today, the silence of any terrorizing disturbance was lacking in Dakota, and despite his need for the peace and quiet, Static would have greatly enjoyed the life-threatening challenge.  
  
"So anyway," Shebang said, pacing the length of the gas station several times as she attempted to work off the nervous energy. "I'm finally glad you guys came to your senses and called me. Summer has been totally boring and I've only done patrol a couple of times. Of course, I wish you had called me under better circumstances. You know, if you were planning to face Ebon and the crazy crew, you should have let me know."  
  
Sighing deeply as he tried to both, block out the rambling of Shebang and sit up straighter on the couch without wincing due to the sheer amount of pain in his right side, the electric powered teenager shook his head, wishing his partner would finally arrive. Gear had called Static and Shebang to show them some of the new inventions he'd created, but as yet, had been late.  
  
"You know, it's a good thing I don't hold a grudge." Shebang said, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at the suffering hero. A moment later she was by his side, helping him into a better position. "Really Virgil," Shebang said quietly as she placed a hand on his shoulder and stared mournfully into his eyes. "I only want to help you guys."  
  
The sudden arrival of the long-awaited Gear broke the moment between the heroes and saved Static from suffering the effects of the guilt of ignoring Shebang's usefulness to the team. However the obvious grin on Gear's face caused Static to much rather face that guilt than the accusing remarks of his partner.  
  
"Am I interrupting anything?" The brilliant teenager said, trying hard not to laugh at the two heroes sitting on the couch. "If I am, just say so, I come back."  
  
"Gear!" Static barked out warningly as he glared at his teammate.  
  
"Fine, fine!" The tech-genius said as he unloaded the large box of gadgets on the nearby workbench and breathing heavily in relief from having deposited his load. "Well, thanks for coming anyway."  
  
"You called us, why wouldn't we come?" Static said, but Shebang took a different approach.  
  
"Call me to see some new gadgets of yours but don't call me unless you guys need my folks to patch you up. Hmph." The young woman said, crossing her arms and standing from the couch, staring at Gear in an unspoken impatience.  
  
"Er...anyway," Gear began, and Shebang looked on in indifference and Static stared at the female martial artist, making a mental note to discuss her attitude with her. "First, as your well aware of, since I haven't been able to sleep since the second Big Bang due to the effects of that gas, I thought I'd create some new and improved weapons for us..."  
  
"Get on with it Gear!" Static said, trying to get his friend to skip the long-winded explanation that usually followed the creation of any new device of his.  
  
"Oh, right." The brilliant young man said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyway, let me introduce to you, Backpack 2.0." He said in the most over-emphasized, grandiose means he could conjure while his automated robot scurried out from its resting place on his back and out to the middle of the floor.  
  
"Bro," Static said, looking curiously at the robot that stood between the three heroes. "It looks the same."  
  
"But it isn't." Gear said, his eyes bulging slightly in excitement as he prepared to roll into the explanation. "See, I've added several new upgrades, including the enhanced memory, remote satellite uplink, GPS tracking system...and best of all, a hologram projector." He said excitedly, bouncing slightly in his enthusiasm. "Isn't that cool? I also added retractable wings that don't really serve any purpose but make me look cooler when I'm flying."  
  
"Uh, yeah Rich, that's great." Static and Shebang stared cautiously at the genius, wondering what, if any purpose the upgrades would benefit.  
  
"Anyway, that's just the beginning." Gear said, turning back to the box bursting with his inventions when the alarm sounding from Backpack stopped him and caused the three heroes to stare cautiously at the little robot. "Wait, wait...watch this." Gear said excitedly again, his smile expanding the length of his face. "Backpack, display!"  
  
As directed, the top panel slid open on the tiny robot, projecting a map of the city with a small, blinking blimp indicating the location of the disturbance. What was even more fascinating however was the hovering words that floated to the side of the map and listed all known information on the crime in progress.  
  
"Wow, that's pretty cool Rich." Static said, reading over the needed information floating next to the holographic map. "Let's see, unknown Metahuman destroying Vanmoor School of Science."  
  
"What's even cooler is that it even dual-projects all the 411 available on the crime right into the mini-monitor in my visor."  
  
"Well, let's go to work then." Static smirked before Shebang put her hand against his chest and stopped him from moving out of the gas station.  
  
"No you don't." Shebang said, a frown creasing her features as she glared at the electric powered youth. "My mom said you'd need at least another four of five days before your ready for action again. You too Gear. Leave it to me, I'll deal with it."  
  
Gear and Static stared at each other a moment, eyes speaking the silent question between them before Static finally said, "You can't be serious."  
  
"What, don't you think I can do it?"  
  
"I didn't say you couldn't, but if this is another ambush, we all need to be there. Just in case." Static said, wincing painfully as Shebang jabbed a finger into his ribs.  
  
"You're not in any condition to fight Virgil. Neither are you Ritchie." She said, breaking off the potential protest the genius prepared to raise. "If it's an ambush, I'll be prepared for it this time. But let me handle this. If nothing else, then let me at least prove I belong with you guys."  
  
"You don't have to prove anything..."  
  
"Then it's settled, I'm going." Shebang smiled at her apparent victory of the argument, turning to leave before Gear called her to stop. "Don't try to stop me Gear."  
  
"I'm not." He said as he walked up to her, taking her wrist and shoving a Shock Vox into her hand. "If you need us, call. We'll be there as quickly as we can. But...be careful, okay?"  
  
The smile on her face caused the genius to glow scarlet as she patted the side of his helmeted face. "Don't worry, but...thanks Gear." With that she turned and ran from the gas station.  
  
"Do you think it's a good idea to let her go alone?" Static said, watching her leave as he partner shrugged.  
  
"What choice do we really have? She's right you know, we're not a hundred percent yet. Your ribs are still bothering you, and I'm still suffering dizzy spells. We have to trust her."  
  
"I do trust her Rich, that's not the problem." Static said, turning back to stare absent-mindedly on the box of gadgets Gear had yet to explain.  
  
Stealing a sideways glance at his best friend and allowing a devious smile to cross his features, Gear smirked, "So, what were you two doing on the couch when I came in?"  
  
"Shut up Gear!"  
  
# # #  
  
Vanmoor School of Science was fairly close to headquarters, and though she made good time, Shebang was disappointed that ten minutes had already passed since her departure. Making her way up the driveway in a flat run, Shebang's eyes grew wide at the sight of the uprooted and broken trees that led into the forest, revealing that something extremely large had moved from that position, and more than likely, that extremely large mass was the cause of the problems at the school. Continuing her run as she moved towards the entrance, Shebang mentally measured the large whole made in the wall where the double doors had once stood, developing a mental idea of her foe before facing him.  
  
Entering the crumbled ruins of the foyer to the Vanmoor School of Science, Shebang stared at the massive creature before her. Six and a half feet tall, if an inch, his heavily muscled, thick-skinned frame was covered in the debris of powered plaster as well as a countless variety of broken wood and other unidentifiable particles. Craning his thick neck to turn his wide, angular face toward the newcomer, the creature crouched his powerful legs and arched his broad body forward to address the girl in the brightly colored pink and purple uniform, all the while stretching his massive, chiseled arms forward to flex his thick, clawed fingers menacingly.  
  
"You want something little girl?" Nigel inquired, his lips working in exaggerated movements around his long, sharply pointed teeth. "Cause if you don't, then clear off! This doesn't concern you!"  
  
Sighing slightly at the heavily accented words from the Bang Baby she faced, Shebang wondered if it was too much to ask, just for once, to face a civil opponent. "Threatening people concerns me big boy, and I'm not one to answer to empty threats." She said, tossing the words at her soon-to-be opponent as easily as if there were blows from her fist.  
  
Growling furiously at the mocking teenager before him, he lashed his clawed hand at the girl, connecting only with open air as Shebang had long-since vacated her position. Rolling in a forward somersault before springing from the ground, the hyperactive hero delivered a spinning windmill kick the creature's rock-hard stomach. Feeling the slight sting in her leg from the attack, Shebang reacted instantly, flipping her body in an aerial cartwheel followed quickly by a front handspring as her opponent's other hand swiped at her in an attempt to knock her away like a giant swatting a fly.  
  
Using his strength to her advantage, Shebang jumped on the tree trunk-thick tail and launched herself up the creatures back, landing in a perched position atop his wide shoulder. From her vantage, Shebang delivered six consecutive punches along the right neck muscle of the brute, each one a mere centimeter from the one before it. Growling in pain and anger, Shebang allowed herself a brief smile as she executed a perfect back flip, dodging the claw of his left arm, before spinning her body in a tight spiral. Extending her arms and firmly catching the ends of the long, curved horns atop his head and using her own momentum to complete her flip, Shebang drove both feet into his wide face.  
  
Quickly centering her gravity she used her legs to springboard from the creature's face, flipping and turning her body as her feet gently touched the crumbling wall of the vandalized school before falling forward into a eloquent handspring and landing perfectly on the balls of her feet. Flashing a smirk of confidence at the staggered beast and knowing she was fully in control of the conflict, the young costumed youth took a moment to massage her aching hand from delivering the powerful blows. As the creature held it's now useless right arm limply at its side, Shebang reacted instinctively as the great, lumbering monster charged at her.  
  
Using her powerful legs to propel herself up in a tight forward flip that cleared the full height of the behemoth, Shebang brought herself out of the maneuver in time to use the monsters own momentum against it. Kicking fully into the rock hard back of the rampaging berserker, the young hero sent the creature headfirst into the crumbling wall.  
  
"Your new to the whole Bang Baby thing aren't you big guy? You haven't figured out how to use all those fancy powers yet have you?" Shebang mocked as she watched the creature stagger from the new hole its self- propelled flight had created in the ruined wall.  
  
Growling hatefully at the annoying hero, the beast thumped its left hand against its chest in a show of power. "I won't let you beat me girl."  
  
"I don't think you have a choice big boy." Shebang smirked as she cocked her head to look at her suffering opponent.  
  
"Stop calling me that!" Nigel screamed, bearing his teeth and flexing his claws. "Call me Grendel!"  
  
"Yeah, I think I'd rather call you beaten." She said, taking her eyes off the massive opponent calling himself Grendel and realizing too late the mistake she had made.  
  
With both arms, Grendel brought the palms of his trashcan sized hands together, sending shockwaves throughout the room in a pulsing blast that disrupted the young hero's hearing and her equilibrium along with it. As she fought to regain her balance, Shebang was met with a second shockwave, this one from the force of Grendle's massive fist slamming into the ground and causing a tremor that sent the cape-bearing young woman flying.  
  
The wind rushing from her lungs as she painfully collided with the floor, Shebang rolled to her side and saw that the Bang Baby calling himself Grendel had fled. "Well that was delicate. So where'd he go?" She asked, rising shakily to her feet and trying desperately to stop the ringing of her ears.  
  
Making her way shakily out of the building and scanning the area with her eyes, Shebang sighed in defeat, realizing the creature had escaped before she could apprehend it. But, it wasn't a total loss as she wasn't the one to retreat. Rubbing her sore knuckles, She jogged lightly into the school grounds before making her way into the forest, hoping to track the Bang Baby calling himself Grendel before heading back to headquarters.  
  
# # #  
  
Talon sat, perched on one of the ornamental stone falcons that decorated the Mizaki Building in downtown Dakota. From her vantage she watched the people below bustle about their normal lives. Normal. She missed that most about herself, and despite the power she possessed in her feathered form, she wanted only to live a normal life, go to school, meet a boy, and go to college. All the things she dreamed she would do as a child. Now, those dreams have died for her a second time, once she transformed back into the hideous freak she was now.  
  
The sudden gust of wind caused her to shiver slightly as she wrapped her arms around herself, hoping to keep warm as wished, not for the first time since her retransformation, that she were home with her family. But she left home again, knowing how upset her mother would be but not willing to show her the horrible creature her daughter had become. And despite her best efforts, Talon couldn't keep the tear that slid from her eye and traced its way down her cheek.  
  
"Cold up here ain't it?" A voice echoed behind the winged Metahuman, her body stiffening as memory recalled the owner of the voice.  
  
Taking a moment to steady herself, Talon turned her eyes as she glared at the intruder of her solitude. "What do you want Ebon?"  
  
A smirked crossed his smoky features as he narrowed his eyes to glare sinisterly at his former ally. "I'm surprised to see you back Talon. It's been a while."  
  
"The name's Teresa!" She nearly screamed, rising to face him in her anger.  
  
"Whatever," he said, waving a dismissing hand as pulled a feather from the inside of his vest. "You drop something?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Talon replied, her face drawing up into a scowl as she glared at the shadow master.  
  
"Don't play me a fool Talon, I know you were at the hideout. You see, this feather was found a couple of days ago. Of course, it could have been an old feather, but there was no cobwebs or age showing on it. Not to mention it's longer than your old feathers. But I recognized the design." Ebon said, tossing it lightly into the air and watching the wind blow it over the edge of the building and into the concrete canyon below. "Why you spying on us Talon. If you want back in, just ask."  
  
Remaining silent for several moments, Talon lowered her head before speaking. "The only thing I want Ebon is to be human again. Can you do that for me? Since it was your fault I got a whiff of the gas the second time anyway, and became the FREAK again. I want to go home...I want a normal life. But you, you won't let me have that will you? So I don't want anything from you Ebon. I just want to be left alone."  
  
"Don't be a fool Talon, who'd take you in?" Ebon smirked, glaring again at the winged Bang Baby. "You have a home with us. We're you family."  
  
"Family." She mocked, the word sounding like a joke in itself. "A family doesn't make you steal just so your not thrown out on the streets alone. A family doesn't tell you to hurt people because your 'father' is a raging egomaniac. A family cares about each other. If you ever cared about me, you would have let me stay human instead of dragging me on that damn ship. This," Talon said, holding her arms up to show her feathered wings. "This is your fault."  
  
"Since when have you gotten all noble?" The dark villain remarked, tilting his head slightly. "I don't recall you ever protesting a job I gave you. Your nothing but a hypocrite, because deep down, you not only like this power, you want it...you're just too damn full of yourself to believe otherwise. Face it Talon, this is who you are."  
  
Shaking bodily as she fought to contain the tears that threatened to drown her, Talon glared at her former ally; fighting to deny the words Ebon mocked her with.  
  
"It's true and you know it." Ebon said, turning his back on the winged young woman and gliding across the surface of the roof. "I'll leave you to think about it. After all, you've got nowhere to go. I'd love to stay and chat, but my beloved brother is coming back to town, and I don't want to miss his flight."  
  
"I...I don't need you Ebon." Talon cried out, wishing she could believe the words she fought to say.  
  
"When you come to your senses...you'll know where to find me." He said, vanishing in the swirling portal he summoned, leaving Talon alone once again.  
  
Collapsing to her knees and allowing the tears she struggled to contain during her conversation with Ebon to pour from her eyes, Talon wrapped her arms around herself, trying to find some sanity in what her life had become.  
  
"Go to Hell." She said quietly, but not quite sure whom she was speaking to. "Just, go to hell and leave me alone!"  
  
As she sat on roof crying at her own desperation, she realized one truth in Ebon's statement; there was no one to help her through her pain. She was, completely alone.  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: Another chapter come and gone. I'm not sure if I'm totally crazy about this one. A lot of dialogue in it to be sure, but it is setting the stage for what's to come. Also, I plan to introduce the next and final member of Ebon's team in the next couple of chapters, so be prepared. Oh, and for all the great reviews...thank you to everyone. Just FYI, I had considered using Permafrost for Static's team, but as I've never seen the episode with her in it, I don't know her personality or the full extent of her powers. So I'm trying to catch it on repeats but...we'll see. Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed this. 


	6. Murphy's Law

Static Force: Chapter 5: Murphy's Law  
  
Virgil lay haphazardly on plush mattress of his bed, his wrinkled, partially stripped sheets half covering his prone form as his arm lay limply over his eyes in an attempt to block the offending sunlight filtering through the partially opened drapes of his window. He loved summer vacation, if for no other reason than it gave him a legitimate validation to explore the wonders of sleep therapy. At least that was his excuse for what his sister would often label as "the laziness of Virgil".  
  
"Virg, you there?" The bodiless voice crackled through the air again, reminding the drowsy teenager of what had awakened him in the first place. Sitting up gingerly as he rubbed his still aching ribs, he smiled despite his slight discomfort of the quick healing his body was performing, in no small part to the efforts of Shebang's parents. But Virgil couldn't bother with that now as he groaned angrily and rolled out of bed, seeking the Shock Vox that repeatedly squawked his name from across the room.  
  
"Come in Virg." Ritchie's voice spoke again from the small box that served to keep them in communication.  
  
"Virgil is away from his room, please leave a message." The groggy young man spoke into the communicator before returning it to his dresser and staggering towards his bed.  
  
"Come on Virgil, this isn't time for games." Ritchie's voice called from the within the box, cut off by his best friend's rhetorical comment.  
  
"No it isn't. It's time to sleep," Virgil said quietly, wondering how so many other heroes could function while staying up as late as they did while maintaining their life. "It's Saturday Rich, and it's summer break. Two very good reasons why I shouldn't be up before noon."  
  
"Sure, and while your resting, the Meta-breed are vandalizing Dakota Central High."  
  
A long, suffering sigh escaped Virgil's lips before looking at the communicator. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Where are you?"  
  
"I'm in route now. I already called Shebang and she'll meet us there," the line was silent a moment before Ritchie's voice came back. "What do you think Virg?"  
  
Having already changed into his alternate clothing, Static spoke into the Shock Vox as he opened his portable flying disc and exited through the open window of his room. "I don't know anymore Rich. This doesn't seem like them. They destroyed Dakota Heights Mall, hit the Imperial Records studio, thrashed Vanmoor School of Science and have vandalized a slew of movie theaters, shops, warehouses and even the theme park all in the past two weeks. It looks like there's some vendetta involved but we haven't found any connection yet."  
  
"Well, technically, Vanmoor wasn't ransacked by the Breed, that was a different Bang Baby."  
  
"Whatever, it fell into the category as the others so we should assume that Bang Baby is part of the Breed as well," Static replied, pushing his energy to move him faster as he soared toward the school.  
  
"I don't know Virg, something doesn't feel right about it," Gear said, his voice expressing the deep, resounding concern as he contemplated the situation. "Anyway, when we're done here, I want to do some research. I need to check a hunch."  
  
# # #  
  
The Dakota/Spenceville International Airport was nothing short of a sea of bobbing heads and charged emotional clamoring as relatives, friends and families gathered tightly in the various terminals, fighting to embrace their loved ones departing or returning. Airports were, quite possibly, the most emotionally charged places on the planet. At least, that was how Adam Evans felt walking out of the unloading ramp of the airplane that had taken him home, only to find the wind briefly knocked from his body as the arms of the woman who had made him the happiest man in world wrapped tightly around him.  
  
"Stringer!" Sharon Hawkins squealed, holding him as if afraid letting go would cause him to vanish. "It's so good to have you back."  
  
"Hey Sharon," Adam smiled, wrapping his own arms around her, careful to keep them in proper proportion as to avoid any unwanted notice that would distract him from this grateful moment of peace. "So I take it you missed me?"  
  
"Not really," she teased, her smile fading only when her pulled her into a tender kiss. Pulling away after several moments, she closed her eyes slightly and gazed at him through half-closed eyelids, a dreamy smile now painting her peaceful face. "Okay, maybe a little."  
  
Chuckling at her nonchalant response, Adam draped his arm around her shoulder and led her from the terminal and back towards the bustling city of Dakota. "Daddy's out in the car waiting for us," she said, leaning her head against the inside of his shoulder and cuddling closer as she kept pace.  
  
'Good,' he thought to himself, fumbling with the small gift box in his jacket pocket as he closed his eyes and hoped the nervousness would eventually abate. 'I wanted to talk to him about this.' Smiling down at the girl in his arms, Adam was amazed at how such a small body could make him feel so warm.  
  
Taking a moment to gaze over crowd that bustled about the airport, the smile on his face fell immediately as he stared into the eyes of the man in the brown trench coat and fedora. Adam's eyes locked momentarily with the white slits that served as the other man's eyes, as he pulled nervously away from Sharon and stared down his brother.  
  
"What's wrong Stringer?" Sharon asked, feeling her lover's body become suddenly tense. Staring back over her shoulder in an attempt to see what had disturbed him so much, she scanned the crowd, and finding nothing out of the ordinary, turned her attention back to the man at her side.  
  
"Nothing. I...I think I may have misplaced the bag that I had your present in." Adam said, the words coming out faster than intended as he tried desperately to come up with an alibi for his sudden alarm as he looked down at the woman at his side. Moving his eyes back to the crowd, he sighed nervously as the form of his brother no longer occupied the space he had moments before.  
  
"Is that all?" Sharon smiled, tightening her hold on his arm in a reassuring way as she pulled him towards the exit. "The only present I want I have right here," she responded, pulling him into another kiss while ignoring the jostling of people who moved about them. To them, the world itself had dissolved into nothingness, leaving only the perfect moment between them.  
  
"Yeah, it's good to be back."  
  
# # #  
  
"Heh...I always hated this school!" Hotstreak screamed, sending a blast of fire into the tiled ceiling and watching as the flames streaked down the roof that covered the hallway. "Miss Hampton, you gave me detention," the pyromaniac screamed, sending a burst of flame into his former English teacher's classroom. "Mr. Carter, you gave me Saturday school," he replied, doing likewise to his history teacher's room a few doors down from the previous charred shell of Miss Hampton's room.  
  
"Yeah, who hasn't given you detention?" Puff sighed, using her acidic breath to melt a formerly neat line of lockers.  
  
"The principal...of course he did suspend me a few times," Hotstreak sneered, allowing a pair of great fireballs to engulf his hands as he made his way to the principal's office.  
  
"That man's got issues," Sweetness sighed, using her great fists to pound through the thick brick of the supporting walls while Onyx worked on the other side.  
  
"Issues...misunderstood...its all a matter of perception." Static said, floating some feet above the floor and the chaos of the Meta-breed's conditional reconstruction of the school.  
  
"Static, how'd you get here?" Puff snarled, floating away slightly from the hero as she prepared for his attack.  
  
"See the floating disc? It's called flying." The hero quipped, smirking as he looked at the assembled villains. "Being in a school I'd think you'd at least learn something besides interior decorating."  
  
"Wasn't Shiv standing guard, what was he doing?" Onyx asked, having his own question answered as Gear floated into the hallway, the tightly bound Shiv in his arms as the energy wielding blade master had his own arms pinned to his side by Gear's mechanical spider-grapple.  
  
"He's a bit tied up now." Gear remarked, rewarded by a sickening sigh from his partner as he stared at the tech genius and his poor attempt at humor. Shiv however, found it quite amusing.  
  
"Tied up...that's funny. Hahahahahaha!"  
  
Dropping the maniacal villain to the ground, Gear reached to his reserves and removed two more grenade-sized spheres as he prepared for the coming battle. Puff smirked at the readiness of the two heroes before turning to the group behind her. "Cut 'em down!" At those words, all hell broke lose.  
  
Gear immediately threw his two spheres, one wrapping around Sweetness and the other ensnaring Puff, the former easily breaking the bonds while Puff turned her body to mist and floated from the bindings.  
  
Static spun his body as he narrowly avoided the row of lockers that Onyx threw at him, however was not quick enough to avoid being snared by Chainlink's tentacles that laced around his ankle and threw him down the hall. Landing on his back and looking up into the snarling sneer of Hotstreak, Static quickly unleashed a blast of electricity the sent the fire-powered villain flying backwards before rising to his feet and summoning his flying board once more and returning to the fray to combat Chainlink.  
  
Gear strained under the effort of using his new power, having telekinetically lifted Onyx and beating him back and forth into the two walls of the hallway until Sweetness had sent him flying with a well placed punch. The gray skinned monster was caught off guard however as Shebang, having moved from the opposite end of the hallway, drove the bulk of her thin yet powerful fist into the back of the monster. Bending painfully backwards from the unexpected assault, Shebang quickly spun her back to that of Sweetness, and reaching up to catch the powerful Bang Baby under the chin, used the faltering balance of the monster to flip her the length of the hallway and slamming her into the concrete wall.  
  
Static had torn a pair of lockers from the wall and brought them together in an attempt to sandwich Chainlink, only to have the hateful Bang Baby split the lockers in half with the metal tentacles that extended from his back. "I owe you big time you meddling little punk." Chainlink smirked as he walked towards Static, lashing one tendril at a time at the electrically powered hero and slowly forcing him to the back of the hallway and away from the battle his friends were fighting and slowly being overpowered.  
  
"You guys have made quite a mess," Static smirked, as his body began to pulse with electrical energy, easily avoiding yet another tentacle. "It alright if we bill you for the clean up?"  
  
Lashing another metallic vine at the hero, Chainlink grinned arrogantly as he addressed his enemy. "You don't learn quickly do you Static? My tentacles may be metallic but they don't conduct electricity. Your powers won't work on me."  
  
"Forget it chump," the recovered Hotstreak said, closing in ranks behind Static as he tossed and caught the fireball in his hand. "We've got you beat."  
  
"See, this is what I'm talking about." Static said, sighing deeply as if disappointed in his two foes. "I may be a slow learner, but you two just don't learn at all. What makes you think I'm trying to attack you?" The young hero said, lowering his goggles to protect his eyes. As he did so, the dust piling on the floor from the battle began to swirl about him. "I'm only magnetically charging the dust particles. Used properly, it works the same as a sandstorm."  
  
As if to prove his point, Static raised his arms, the particles of dust and debris flying upwards in a great wave of blinding efficiency. When the assault had died down, both Chainlink and Hotstreak were blinded and worked desperately to clear their vision. "See what I mean fellows, a little ingenuity goes a long way."  
  
Static smirked as Chainlink growled in frustration and blindly lashed his tentacles towards to source of the taunting voice, unaware that as his attack connected with a body, it wasn't the one he was aiming at. Hotstreak, staggering to clear his the dust from his eyes and cough free the mouthful he swallowed, was hit unexpectedly by Chainlink's attack and sent careening into the wall as he crumpled to the floor unconscious.  
  
"Good shot, too bad you hit the wrong guy." Static smiled, jumping once again on his disc and charging the power into his fists as he delivered a double Taser Punch to the temporarily blind villain, knocking him unconscious to the ground. Static didn't even waste the time for a quick remark as he flew back to the battle, coughing at the smoke that filled his lungs.  
  
Gear struggled to keep out of reach of the recently freed Shiv as the blade master laughed menacingly while slicing the air in his attempt to skewer the brilliant teen. Trying desperately to shake the headache resulting from using the telekinesis, Gear summoned Backpack to project a hologram of himself in the hopes of confusing the swashbuckling criminal while he organized his thoughts. Scanning quickly to see Shebang struggle with both Onyx and Sweetness, Gear quickly pulled a sphere from his belt and tossed it the pair of powerful villains before ordering Shebang to cover her ears.  
  
Above the chorus of battle, Shebang managed to hear Gear's instructions and did as she was told as a long, whining pulse erupted from the tiny orb, causing Sweetness to howl in misery as she clutched her ears to block out the offending noise. No sooner had the sound began than it had ended as Shebang used the timely distraction to drive her gray skinned opponent headfirst into the wall, the supporting structure giving way as Sweetness' head made a noticeable hole in the wall.  
  
Shebang turned in time to feel the great stony hand of Onyx grab her around the waist and, taking a page from her book, drove her into the wall. Shebang's vision went black for a moment as her head lolled limply against her shoulder. Before she could recover, Onyx threw her nearly unconscious form down the hallway, only to have Static catch her in mid-flight and bring her to rest on the burned floor, Gear coming to join him.  
  
Breathing heavily, Gear removed the portable oxygen tank from his belt and held the breathing apparatus to Shebang's mouth, letting her take a grateful gulp of breathable air in the smoke-filled hallway. "This is no good V," Gear mumbled, taking his eyes from his assisted first aid service to the few standing villains. "We're not doing too bad, but the smoke is making it hard to breath for us." He said, coughing to prove his point as he handed the oxygen canister to his partner.  
  
Static took a quick draw from the canister before handing it to his best friend and watching as the still conscious villains stood at the end of the hallway. Eyes narrowing through the smoke, Static focused on them before voicing his own concern. "Why are they just standing there?" Eyes opening in realization of the missing enemy, Static stared at the ceiling above him and watched as Puff completed the disintegration of the support beams above them. Forcing an energy barrier just as the large portion of the ceiling collapsed, Static fought to keep the weight from crushing the three of them.  
  
After a few tense moments, Static managed to elevate the sphere, keeping his friends with him as they moved away from the collapsed section of the former high school and watched as the villains made their escape. Wanting to chase after them, Static thought better of it as his fatigue him of the bad idea hunting Meta Humans while hurt and tired was. "Another day then," Static said, flying the three of them away from the ruination of the battle, unaware of the cautiously staring figure hidden atop the stone gargoyles of the nearby building.  
  
# # #  
  
Elizabeth Murphy never considered herself a typical villain. The use of guns...the necessity of violence; it never appealed to her. She preferred resorting to using her mind rather than senseless acts of disorder, and as such had amassed quite a reputation in her home of New Jersey as a thinking man's criminal, though being liberal and independent of such stereotypes, hated the title.  
  
However, much in the way of many of the great criminals, most of the crimes that she had been charges with were performed by copycat criminals. Of course, she never objected to the notoriety nor did she attempt to dissuade the public as such. She was famous, and though it was for all of the wrong reasons, she admittedly enjoyed the fame that came with her choice of professions.  
  
One such crime she had been blamed for yet never committed was the kidnapping of a rather conservative senator's son for ransom or special favors or whatever. No one knew the true objective of the kidnapper, and as she was accredited with the crime, she certainly could not address the reasons behind it, as she had nothing to do with it.  
  
The media had come to call her 'The Jersey Devil' and she did what she could to live up to that name. So, when she was brought to Dakota to stand trial for the kidnapping of the senator's son, she made it quite clear she had no plans to stay trapped in the local prison and quickly escaped. She spent most of her days hiding out on the docks, looking for a ship that would take her away from this boring city and as close to New Jersey as possible.  
  
That was, however, before the strange explosion on the docks nearly two weeks ago and the escaping gas that had transformed her body into something from a child's nightmare. She remembered as a youth, seeing pictures of the seductive succubus and could not help but think she now looked something akin to the mythical creatures. Though, other than her now permanently fire-red skin, her appearance was as it had always been, with the exception of the bat-like wings that had sprouted from her back, and the long tail.  
  
Some however would consider such a transformation to be a work of simple bad luck, but Elizabeth saw only opportunity, and not at all wanting to pass up the new powers she found herself possessing, had made her way through the northern district of Dakota, breaking into houses and robbing the wealthy residence without so much as tripping an alarm or alerting the owners of her presence until they awoke the next day to find their valuables missing.  
  
Like her namesake, Elizabeth followed the simple guidelines of Murphy's Law concerning the Golden Rule, "He who held the gold, made the rules." For Elizabeth, she wanted to rule it all.  
  
# # #  
  
Virgil walked down the stairs from his room at the smell of his sister's cooking, hesitantly curious as to what concoction she was presently preparing as he entered the kitchen.  
  
"Just in time," she said, stealing a glance at her brother over her shoulder as she continued to stir the ingredients into the boiling pot on the stove. "You can set the table for dinner, and set an extra place, Adam is staying." She said, humming happily as she stirred the soup a bit more.  
  
"Adam's staying? And you're cooking?" Virgil smirked as he dug the plates from the cabinet and trying not to wince at the pain in his side that aggravated him now only when he stretched his arms. "And here I thought you liked the guy."  
  
Sharon ignored the comment she expected to be coming from her younger brother and continued to work on the meal. Smiling as she happily prepared the dinner for them, Virgil shook his head at the telltale signs of love his sister displayed while working to set the table.  
  
"Where is Adam anyway?" Virgil asked, placing the cups.  
  
"He's in the study talking to Daddy," she replied, the singsong tone of her voice indicating she expected more than just a simple conversation between the two most important men in her life.  
  
While in the study, Adam sat uncomfortably in the leather chair across from Mr. Hawkins, fidgeting slightly as the elder man scrutinized over the beautiful ring revealed within the black, satin box sitting atop the desk. He found it oddly ironic that, though he could face down the Meta-Breed or even a screaming crowd of cheering fans without breaking a sweat, the normally kind man before him desperately intimidated him.  
  
"So, you're asking for my blessing to ask Sharon to marry you?" Robert said, the negative tone in his voice caused the hope within Adam to crush under the weight of that very tone.  
  
"Y...yes sir." Adam said, nervously trying to find a comfortable spot in the chair before finally giving up under the hard stare of the man before him. "I never thought I'd ever find anyone who makes me feel the way she does. She's the most perfect woman I've ever met.  
  
"I know my past is probably working against me," Adam said, tumbling forward as he tried to convince this man that he was the best man for his daughter. "But Sharon believes in me, and for what its worth, she's the reason I'd never go back to that life. Because disappointing her is the only fear I have in this world."  
  
Adam paused a moment to take the black box from the desk and fumble with it distractingly as he stared at the heart-shaped diamond offset by the two emeralds on either side of the delicate ring. "I don't know what the future will hold for anyone, but I can promise you, that I will give everyday of my life to make her the happiest woman whose ever live."  
  
Robert leaned back in his chair for a moment, listening to the young man's words before finally voicing his opinion. "I'm afraid I can't give it to you then." He said sadly as he watched the hurt fill Adam's eyes and continued with his explanation. "I think for you to want to marry her now will not make her happy. She has two years left of college before she graduates, and I'm sure you're well aware of how important her work as a social worker will be to her. Getting married before she graduates may upset her plans."  
  
"Oh," Adam said, a slight, nervous smile now painting his features as he looked at the older man in understanding. "I didn't want to get married just yet, just engaged to be married. I never wanted to take her away from college or her dreams...just share in those dreams."  
  
Confusion now played across Robert's face as he looked pointedly at the younger man. "If you know it will be at least two years before you plan a wedding, why do you want to rush into the engagement now?"  
  
"I don't want to rush into anything, that's why I want to ask her to marry me now, and wait until after college to get married." Adam paused as if pondering how to phrase his words before continuing. "See, my music career is starting to take off, and I'll be traveling quite a bit, if all goes well. But I wanted Sharon to know that, no matter how far away I am, I'm always thinking of her. I want her to know that I'm committed to her and only her. I need her to know that, even though music is my life, she's my world, and no matter how long it takes, I won't leave her, that my love for her...it's permanent."  
  
Robert had expected to hear more from the young man and was silent for several moments after the heartfelt declaration Adam gave to him. It took him a moment longer to find his voice and despite the worry of his own heart, could not keep the smile from decorating his features. "I'll take you at your word Adam, that you will wait to plan the wedding until after Sharon graduates. Only by abiding by that one condition, do I give you my blessing."  
  
All the air that seemed to have escaped him under the nervousness the man in front of him caused him came back in a rush of emotion as he held the ring tightly in his hand, a beaming smile stretching his face a bit beyond its usual proportions.  
  
Robert merely smiled as stood from his chair and took the young man's hand in a firm grip. "I know you'll make her happy and keep her safe. And I'm proud to give you what you want."  
  
"Yes sir, I swear the only thing I want is her happiness." Adam said, causing Robert to smile broader at the words. Turning to open the door to the den to lead the young man from the room, Mr. Hawkins startled to see Sharon standing on the other side.  
  
"Uh..." The young woman said, stumbling to try to explain why she was so obviously eavesdropping. "D...dinners on."  
  
Chuckling to himself as he walked past his daughter, Mr. Hawkins made his way to the table to take his place. Adam smiled brightly at the woman who made his life feel more complete than he ever dreamed possible, as he draped his arm over her shoulder and allowed her to lead him towards the dining room table.  
  
However, the explosion that dissolved a greater part of the living room wall tore the two away from the utopia of love they shared, as Ebon, Hotstreak and Onyx entered the house through the large hole in the wall. Immediately, Virgil rose to his feet, but could find no way to make a run upstairs to retrieve his costume as they three villains had barricaded the living room with their presence.  
  
Adam however, pulled Sharon behind him and morphed his own body, his clothes replaced by the purple stretch-suit he wore when in the guise of RubberBand Man. "What do you want Ivan?" RubberBand Man demanded, staring at his brother.  
  
"Just a little family chat brother," Ebon mocked as he glided closer. "Or perhaps some friendly advise. If you're not a leader or a follower, then you're an obstacle. I'm the leader, and your just refusing to follow, so," Ebon said, shifting his attention from RubberBand Man to Sharon. "I thought I'd conduct some reeducation bro...street style."  
  
"Sharon!" Virgil screamed, running to his sister and grabbing her wrist as a swirling portal formed under her, slowing dragging her to wherever it was Ebon intended to send his intended captive. Robert moved quickly to help Virgil keep his daughter from slipping into the dark pit before the thick hand of Onyx stopped the worried father cold, knocking him against the kitchen table.  
  
RubberBand Man moved to save Sharon before the extended arm of his brother pushed him out of the way while the burning blast of fire from Hotstreak startled Virgil just enough that Sharon's hand slipped from his grip. Virgil stared in fear as his sister was dragged into Ebon's portal.  
  
The realization that his sister was now a prisoner of Ebon hadn't even registered fully in Virgil's mind before Hotstreak grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. "Well, well...Virgil Hawkins. How longs it been since I last beat your face into mince?" the fire starter ridiculed before being called back by Ebon.  
  
"You ever want to see your girlfriend again brother, you'll stay out my way." Ebon said, opening a larger portal as Onyx stepped through. "She'll be safe as long as you don't do anything stupid."  
  
"Heh...I'll beat up on you another time Virgil." Hotstreak said, disappearing into the portal and followed by Ebon, leaving the three remaining occupants to stare at the space where Sharon had vanished.  
  
-To be continued  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: Yeah, this is an evil cliffhanger...heh. But I never said I wasn't evil. Anyway, I'd first like to say how appreciative I am to everyone who's read and reviewed this story so far. As I've said, reviews make any fanfic writer want to continue with their work...so I am most appreciative to everyone. Secondly, I'd like to apologize for the last chapter, I wasn't too happy about it and hope this one is a bit better. And finally, just to give you guys a better idea of what both Elizabeth (aka Jersey) and Grendel look like. For Jersey, picture Demona from the cartoon series of Gargoyles and paint her red and you have a close idea of her appearance. For Grendel, think of Blanka from the Street Fighter video game with a tail and horns and you have a pretty good idea of him. And I didn't describe Jersey very well, but slight spoiler she is the last member of Ebon's crew. You'll get a better idea of her and her powers in later chapters. Anyway, hope everyone liked this and thanks again. 


	7. Unity

Static Force  
  
Chapter 6: Unity  
  
The earth trembled and his world ended in the single beat of his heart, yet Virgil had squeezed the lids of his eyes shut tight against the reality that had invaded the peaceful existence of his once private life. He could still feel the pressure of Sharon's hand wrapped tightly around his wrist, could still hear the screaming of her plea not to let her go and see the terror in her eyes as she was pulled forcefully from his grip and into Ebon's portal. And as his fingers clutched the threads of carpet that covered the space previously occupied by the shadow master's vortex, his breath seized in his throat for a moment as he considered what more could have been done to protect his sister, and unable to exonerate an answer.  
  
"Damn you Ivan!" Adam muttered under his breath as he stood over Virgil's form and glared a hole into the space on the carpet that occupied the young man's attention.  
  
Mister Hawkins however was the first to grasp of the situation and voice the only logical solution to the present crisis, "You need to go after her," he said, yet as Adam turned his attention to the older man he was surprised to see him addressing not him, but Virgil.  
  
Believing the comments were directed towards him and made only to comfort the shaking teenager still kneeling on the ground, Adam stared at Mr. Hawkins fully and nodded, "I'll get her back sir, I swear it."  
  
Turning towards the gaping hole that had been the front wall of the Hawkins' residence, Adam shifted his body once more into his alternate guise, that of Rubberband Man. As he made to leave the house in pursuit of his brother and the woman he loved however, a confident yet unsteady hand gripped his shoulder and caused him to turn his attention to the teenager.  
  
"I'm coming with you." Virgil said softly, a deep, brooding determination echoing from his eyes as he stared down his eventual brother-in-law.  
  
Adam sighed heavily at the young man's declaration. Not so much the words themselves but the need so desperately echoing from those words. It was a need to do something that did not entail waiting for whatever news may come; yet Adam recognized it also as a recklessness of youth in a moment of desperation.  
  
Surprised that Mr. Hawkins made no move to intervene, Adam shook his head sadly as he gripped Virgil's shoulder, squeezing gently in an awkward attempt to reassure the young man. "Virgil, I know what you're going though, but you can't risk doing something stupid like this. I'll get your sister back...I swear it. She means too much to me to lose her." Adam gave a little half smile as he squeezed Virgil's shoulder one more time, hoping the teen would understand, but the young man merely shook his head, rejecting the words even before the escaped Adam's lips.  
  
"You don't understand Adam," Virgil said, raising his hand to the elastic hero's shoulder and pushing him at arms length. Yet as he did so, his eyes glowed purple with untapped energy, as a slight burst of electricity extended across the bridge of his nose, connecting the glowing orbs of his eyes as he glared at the musician. "I'm coming with you."  
  
The shock and surprise startled Adam only briefly as the deep recesses of his mind connected the vague memory of a similar energy used by the young hero of Dakota. Pieces of a puzzle he hadn't even realized he was working out in his mind fell together as he turned his slack jawed face to Mr. Hawkins. The older man looked sadly at Adam and nodded his head only once as if to confirm the truth Adam's mind desperately sought to understand.  
  
Turning his eyes once again to the young man before him, Adam pictured a blue and white mask pressed over his face; his casual clothes replaced by the uniform he'd seen worn so many times by the electric-powered hero of Dakota. Shaking his head in slight disbelief over the realization, a self-mocking smile crossed his features as Adam connected the identity that worked itself out in his mind. "I'll be damned."  
  
# # #  
  
Maureen O'Conner huddled deeply into the thin, worn blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Though summer was a time when many would enjoy the warm, temperate wind and comfortably hot temperatures, she seldom felt anything but cold. And though she had, at one time, found some degree of comfort in the missionary church that had offered to care for her, it was short-lived as were all relationships in her life. It was the habit of she lived by to leave before others could desert her, and for that reason alone she chose to abandon those who would offer to care for her.  
  
It all started when her mother died. She didn't know why, nor could she believe she understood how the world could be so incomprehensibly cruel, but when her step-father refused to look after her, left her to her own fate...she had become forever cursed.  
  
It had been two years ago that she found the true meaning of her curse. Sleeping near the docks when the gang war erupted, the strange gas resulting from the explosive violence had altered her body into something akin to a freakish creation. For a time, she had become the wintry Harold of chaos that wanted only to lash out against the cruelness of the world. But meeting Static, a young man no older than herself, proved to her that the world, though cruel, could offer some degree of kindness.  
  
But she didn't want to be a freak, and so when Dr. Todd sent his de-mutating serum into the air over Dakota and changed all Bang Babies back to normal she was ever so thankful. She was free again. Though admittedly no better off than she had been since her mother was alive, she was no longer feared. Now she was normal and forgotten by the civilized masses of Dakota, and that was how she preferred it, because people can't hurt you if they don't care about you.  
  
Lying in the alleyway behind Tony's Italian Bistro, Maureen huddled against her blanket and wanting only to disappear from the world and the casual passerby as they dutifully ignored the underprivileged. That was until the rough, strong hand snapped viciously against her throat and hoisted her forcefully to her feet, slamming the back of her head against the brick wall of the building she lay against.  
  
Struggling at the hand that seemed eagerly willing to crush her throat, Maureen stared into the face of the man that pinned her against the building. A delicate, finally crafted suit dressed his rather muscular frame, while his face was set in a stony, uncaring look of disinterest. With his free hand, he flipped open what appeared to be a cell phone and gazed at the image on the screen before him.  
  
Nodding in confidence that he found his query, the man returned the device to the inside pocket of his coat and punched the young girl painfully in the stomach. Releasing his grip on the struggling teenager, the man then removed a canister from his coat and pressed the mouthpiece over the gasping young woman's mouth, a stream of gas filtering from the cylinder and entering her lungs.  
  
When completing his task, the suited man stood up and forcefully wiped his hands, as if touching the young girl was something unpleasant. "Welcome back to the land of the living Permafrost," he said, unconcerned by the screams the escaped the coughing and convulsing young woman as he turned and left the alley.  
  
# # #  
  
"You sure you know where you're going?" Rubberband Man said, his words coming loudly as he continued to bounce his coiled frame through the city as he followed the electrically powered teenager at his side.  
  
"Before Ebon took her I slipped a homing tracker into her hand. We should be able follow the signal provided he doesn't find it or she hasn't lost it," Static said, his focus divided between the tracking device in his hand and the path that lay before him.  
  
"I still can't believe it," Rubberband Man said in a voice that echoed a mixture of awe and light humor despite the crisis before them. "All those times we fought together, all the time you hung out at my crib and you never bothered to tell me you were Static. Says a lot for the trust issue doesn't it?"  
  
"Look Adam, now isn't the time," Static responded as he slowed his pace and shifted his gaze from the rectangular computer in his hand to the man at his side. "My pops and Sharon didn't even know, okay? Pops only figured it out when he was kidnapped by some psycho witch with delusions of world domination. Sharon still doesn't know, but it won't be hard to figure it out if she really looks at the tracker I put in her hand, mainly because I wanted to protect them from something like this."  
  
"So you're saying it's my fault Sharon got nabbed?"  
  
"Well they certainly didn't trash my house because of me!" Static retorted, his face turning into an unsavory frown as he stared down the bouncing hero.  
  
"No, you're the one who did nothing and let them take her!"  
  
"Guys, this isn't the way to act," a new voice said, interrupting the building feud between the two heroes as they turned to see Gear flying beside them. "I got your emergency call Static, what's up?"  
  
"The Breed took Sharon," Rubberband Man said before the charged youth could respond.  
  
Gear faltered slightly at the news, his eyes growing wide with the realization of the situation. "Don't worry, we'll get her back RBM. I heard from Shebang, she told me she was on her way when she got the call from the communicator..."  
  
"Wrong, Shebang is here," the acrobatic teenager said, flipping into position by the building the three heroes stopped at. "So what's the score?"  
  
"We're attacking the Breed," Rubberband Man said angrily, staring at the brightly costumed young woman before him and unwilling to go into the full details of the situation with her. He knew Shebang only by reputation, and as this was their first meeting, he seemed willing to direct some of his earlier hostility for Static towards her.  
  
"Get on Shebang, I'll fill you in on the way," Static said, making room her on his flying disc, as it would be considerably quicker to fly her to battle than allow her to jump across the rooftops. Looking curiously at the elastic hero, Shebang found her balance behind Virgil and held on to him as he rocketed towards their destination.  
  
"So what's the deal?" Shebang asked, her voice rising to be heard over the wind that rushed passed them. "Taking the Breed on their home field is a bit risky don'tcha think?"  
  
"They kidnapped my sister."  
  
Eyes growing wide in alarm at the realization, Shebang leaned close to whisper to the hero, "Don't worry Virgil, we'll get her back. I promise."  
  
# # #  
  
Edwin Alva sat patiently behind the lavishly polished, antique desk of his private office, enduring with great difficulty the impromptu meeting with the brilliant man sitting across from him. He was not one to endure unscheduled meetings, his time was important after all, yet the man before him was still of some value, and Alva enjoyed maintaining the illusion that others were in control of their own lives.  
  
Doctor Donald Todd shifted uncomfortably in the seat across from the ambitious billionaire, trying desperately to maintain his dignity yet realizing how out of place he was in this environment. He was a scientist, better suited for lab work and solving complicated calculations. Yet the sudden rise in the Bang Baby population caused him to demand this meeting with his benefactor, something he understood now to be a serious mistake.  
  
"As I was saying Mr. Alva," Dr. Todd said nervously, lacing two fingers into the color of his shirt in an attempt to loosen the unpleasant pressure around his throat. "I'd like an explanation as to how seemingly more Bang Babies are appearing every day than we've ever faced before. My serum should have reversed the effects of the Big Bang."  
  
Alva scrutinized the man before him, wondering how anyone who could have graduated with a Ph.D. in advanced Microbiology and Chemical Engineering could be so completely ignorant. "How would I know the answers to that Donald?" Alva replied, making it obvious he had no desire to consider this man and equal and therefore ignored the formal title. "I'm merely a business man, I can't begin to fathom how your antidote failed to perform the effects that you yourself ensured me we would see."  
  
Alva took a moment to rise from his chair and walk to the large, plate glass window of his office that overlooked the city. "I brought you onboard this mission because you were the chief scientist who worked on the experimental project that initially spawned the Bang Babies. I assumed as you had inadvertently caused the catastrophe you would naturally be the one to undo the harm. I took a great risk covering up that fact as it were Donald, that however may be my fault, as I put too much trust in you."  
  
At this, Dr. Todd felt his professional pride threatened and stood to face his verbal attacker. "The antidote did work. I saw with my own eyes the cured Bang Babies and even tested Static Shock and Gear and recorded the reducing limitations of their powers. There was no miscalculation on my part."  
  
"Then if that is the case," the elder man sneered in response, turning to face the scientist, "I can only assume that you hold me responsible for the reemergence of the Bang Baby crisis. There is no other explanation to counter why you would confront me with these baseless facts, otherwise."  
  
Dr. Todd lowered himself back to his chair and stared purposefully at the mirror-polished desktop, seeking a means to work his way out of the proverbial hole he had dug himself. "Believe me Mr. Alva, that is not why I'm here," Dr. Todd responded, shifting his weight in his seat in an attempt to distract the accusing eyes of the elder businessman. "I only came to petition further funding to reevaluate the reemergence of the Bang Baby epidemic. I fully believe the cause of the resurfacing of the Meta Humans is the direct result of the last canister of the mutagen gas being stolen before proper disposal. In no way do I believe you are connected to the current state of affairs in this city."  
  
Alva glared his hawk-like eyes at the scientist, surveying him with his customary glower that made even his most ardent rivals squirm. For his own part, Dr. Todd appeared more than prepared to throw himself out the window just to get away from the imposing older man. "If that were the case Donald, you could have petitioned me indirectly, why come in person?" Turning his back once again on the scientist, Alva gazed once more over the skyline of Dakota. "Turn in copies of all of your proposed research to me for review of your proposal and I will consider your request."  
  
Nodding unsurely at the back of the man's head, Dr. Todd stood and turned to leave the office.  
  
"And Donald," Alva called after the retreating man, yet still refused to turn his attention to him, "make sure you don't go down any dark alleys."  
  
When the door of his office snapped shut, Alva turned and pressed the intercom button on his desk, not even waiting for his receptionist to respond. "Send Jacobs in."  
  
A moment later, Alva's office door opened as a large, sturdy man dressed in a finely tailored suit entered the study. Before Alva had the opportunity to question his employee, Jacobs nodded once and removed the canister and picture identification module from his coat and returned it the secured cabinet situated against the east wall. "Subject 13/3-Maureen O'Conner has be reactivated Mr. Alva," the large man said, standing stiffly, his arms folded behind his back as he focused his attention on his employer.  
  
"Very good Jacobs," Alva said, returning to his chair as he addressed the larger man. "We may need to contact Ebon and his side show to have an educational talk with the good Doctor Donald Todd. It seems he is forgetting who pays his salary."  
  
Jacobs shifted slightly at the mention of the Meta-Breed, an action his employer had not failed to notice.  
  
"They're trustworthy for the time being, provided I keep them on a tight leash," Alva said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Though I heard they ransacked some poor man's hovel tonight. They may be getting out of control.  
  
"Jacobs," Alva said, refocusing on the man standing poised in his office, "What is the status of our contingency team?"  
  
"We've yet to acquire one final member, however everything is moving according to schedule Mr. Alva."  
  
"Excellent," the ambitious business tycoon said, a smug smile painting his features. "One more good push from the Meta-Breed and it will be time to implement my plan."  
  
# # #  
  
The four heroes landed a short distance from the Kenington Foundry on the west side of Dakota as Static took a moment to review the readings of the tracking device. Nodding to himself, he turned his attention to his friends. "Looks like this is the place," Static said, returning the device to the pocket of his trench coat.  
  
"Yep," Gear responded, a snaking probe extending from one of the countless compartments on Backpack. "According to the readings I'm picking up from Backpack, we've got eight Meta-humans and one non-Bang Baby in the foundry. Give me a sec as I run a thermographic scan of the area."  
  
A moment later Gear nodded to himself and began mumbling as if considering the information his scan was gathering. "According to Backpack's scan, there are three of them guarding the front entrance, three towards the middle of the foundry, one stationed at the rear and another in the upper levels."  
  
Considering the information, Static nodded and looked at the others. "Is there an outside access?"  
  
"According to the schematics I pulled up from remote interfacing Backpack with the county Zoning Commissions computer, there seems to be a ventilation shaft on the second floor and windows in the first floor offices. So what's the plan?"  
  
"We split up. Gear, you and Shebang go in through the offices, I'll take the ventilation shaft. Adam, it'll make more sense if you go in through the front. After all, they're only expecting you to come. I think Ebon has something planned for you; otherwise he wouldn't call you out like this. Keep him talking until we can move into position. Getting Sharon back though is the first priority. I think that's about it."  
  
"We're still looking at two-on-one odds, even with the element of surprise." Shebang said, shaking her head and heaving a heavy sigh. "This won't be easy."  
  
"Don't worry," Gear smirked as he affectionately patted the cylinder strapped to his belt, "I've concocted a little something that will make the odds a little more in our favor."  
  
With the pleasantries out of the way, Gear and Shebang moved towards the office, staying to the shadows and working to keep out of sight from anyone who might be keeping watch. Rubberband Man shook his head slightly at his own internal thoughts before called back by Static.  
  
"Adam...about earlier. I'm sorry about the stuff I said." Static said, his words heavy as if he struggled to force them past his lips.  
  
Adam smiled at the younger man and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Me too Virgil. It's been a crazy night, Sharon getting nabbed in front of both of us, and of course finding out who you were. I think we all have a bit too much on our minds."  
  
Static smiled slightly and nodded as he removed the disc from his coat and unfolded the flying board. "Be careful Adam."  
  
"You to."  
  
Static watched in apprehension as his friends went the way he directed them, praying to God that they would both, save his sister and be safe. Pushing his own fears and uncertainty from his mind, Static flew cautiously around the building.  
  
Taking longer than expected to locate the ventilation shaft, the electric-powered teenager cursed himself under his breath as he tore away the protective cover from the wall of the building and pulled himself into the ductwork. Having crawled though what he estimated as nearly 200 feet before to peer at the interior of the foundry, Static bit his lip in frustration as he watched Shiv harass Sharon from within a horribly crafted steel cage while Rubberband Man faced the assembled group before him, in an attempt to negotiate Sharon's release.  
  
"Everyone ready?" Static whispered into the Shock Vox as he shifted lightly to get a better view of the assembled group they'd be fighting.  
  
"We're all set V, give the word." Gear's voice softly hissed over the communicator.  
  
Nodding to himself and stealing his nerve, Static whispered back to his partners, "Go!"  
  
With a burst of magnetic energy, Static tore the grid from the anchored wall and sped into the opening, distracting all the occupants of the foundry and he lowered himself quickly into the central foundry room while sending a blast of electricity towards Onyx.  
  
Distracted by the sudden appearance of the hero, Rubberband Man took advantage by wrapping his elastic arms, only around the throat of Chainlink, the other around the waist of Shiv and tossing both villains aside. While the distracted criminals tried desperately to organize themselves, Gear and Shebang entered the fight from the other side of the factory, Gear throwing various techno grenades while Shebang flipped eagerly into the battle to confront Sweetness.  
  
The long, snaking arm of Ebon latched around Static's ankle as he flipped the hero from his flying disc and sent him careening into the side of a large vat used to melt down metal. "How'd you get here hero?" Ebon asked, moving to attack the dazed teen before Rubberband Man intercepted his brother.  
  
"It's between you and me Ivan," Rubberband Man snarled, his body twining with that of his brother's, the two appearing as a pair of giant snakes fighting one another as each tried to get the advantage over the other. "I'll never forgive you for kidnapping her Ivan, for using her against me. It's over between us Ebon!"  
  
Static shook the fog from his head and quickly made his way to the cage that held Sharon. Using his powers to tear the door from the prison, Static turned quickly and used the thick iron portion of the cage to batter aside Shiv who had worked his way behind the hero in an attempt to run him through. "Get out here, now!" Static screamed at his sister before launching himself into the fight and sending electrical tendrils of energy towards Hotstreak.  
  
Shebang spun her body quickly, connecting the blow of her powerful leg to the side of the unsuspecting Chainlink's head as he attempted to lash out his tentacles at Gear, only to be knocked aside and sent into blissful unconsciousness. Before she could move to support Gear as he struggled with the powerful Sweetness swinging a length of steel twice as long as the brilliant teen, Puff moved into her path and sneered in a half smile of triumph at the martial artist.  
  
"Face it girlfriend," Puff smirked as she sent a gust of acidic wind toward the hero, only to have Shebang dodge it as it melted a transportation cart, "Your out of your league with me. Besides, you think I'm really afraid of some fangirl named after a William Hung song?"  
  
"Actually Ricky Martin sung it first Puffball," Shebang answered back, throwing a series of powerful punches that passed through the ghostly villain. "Besides, what are you so smug about? At least I didn't name myself after a company that makes tissue paper."  
  
Gear had dodged yet another swing by the powerful, yet equally angry monster before him, mentally running through his assorted arsenal before shrugging his shoulders and removing his sonic grenade. "It worked before," Gear smirked, throwing the projectile at Sweetness as a loud, whining sound vibrated and echoed from the device, causing the hearing sensitive Bang Baby to scream in pain as she covered her ears. The distraction however, was all Gear needed as he removed one of the cylinders on his belt and attached the vial to a hypodermic gun.  
  
Struggling to maintain his grip on the Bang Baby, Gear inserted the point of the needle into the thick neck of the gray-skinned creature, and dispersed the fluid into her body. For a moment, the battle had ceased as all eyes turned toward the screams that emanated from the tortured throat of Gear's opponent. All eyes witnessed the gray skin of the suffering Sweetness melt away, the form of the great monster shrinking upon itself until revealing the host body beneath. When the apparent transformation had been completed, Tamara Lawrence stared questionably at her returned form, no longer that of the grotesque creature she had been, but her true, human self.  
  
"Heh...it worked." Gear said, slightly surprised at the revelation and caught off guard as Shiv tackled the technical wizard. Seemingly the only one either unaware or unconcerned by Tamara's apparent retransformation into her former self, Shiv managed to wrestle the vials of serum located in Gear's belt away from him and tossed them in the direction of Ebon, as the shadow master opened a great, yawning vortex that swallowed the antidote.  
  
Before Gear could gain an advantage against Shiv however, he was gang piled by the remaining members of the Breed, seeking retribution for the reversion of one of their members by the genius inventor. Static, Rubberband Man and Shebang all joined in to rescue their teammate, unaware that as Sharon attempted to escape, a snarling Hotstreak had blocked her path.  
  
"They all make things a bit too complicated for me," Hotstreak snarled as he stepped toward the frightened young woman, his hands engulfed in flames. "See, nabbing you was supposed to keep your boyfriend from getting involved, but you can see what the hell happened can't you? So I say, we just burn you to ashes. Then, at least I'll be happy..."  
  
Hotstreak was quickly distracted however by the feathery figure dropping directly into his path. Turning her head slowly to glare at Sharon before turning back to face the pyromaniac, Talon narrowed her eyes as she looked intently at her one-time ally.  
  
"What the hell you doing Chicken Little?" Hotstreak snapped, the exposed skin of his arms and face smoldering in his anger. "Get out of my way or I'll torch you too."  
  
Talon's face shifted quickly to raging hate as she opened her mouth and let lose a sonic screech that sent the fire-wielding villain flying the length of the foundry. Turning back to sneer at a visibly terrified Sharon, Talon took flight. Now that she had made her presence known, she would contribute how she felt was best.  
  
Talon's presence however did not go unnoticed, as Ebon, realizing the conflict had turned against him, summoned a portal and quickly pulled his allies with him as they vanished from the ruined foundry.  
  
With the conflict over, Rubberband Man quickly moved to Sharon's side to check her condition while Static helped a staggered Gear to his feet. Sharon pulled slightly away from Adam as she looked intently at Static, her eyes narrowed as speculation gave way to suspicion. Shebang folded her arms across her chest and took in the damage, her eyes catching sight of Talon as the martial artist stared untrustingly at the feathered Bang Baby.  
  
It took Static a moment longer than Shebang to realize the cause of the Meta-Breed's sudden departure was the unexpected arrival of Talon, and even a moment longer to realize she was a Bang Baby again. Unsure what to say or how to handle the unexpected events that filled his mind with boundless questions, Static took a tentative step towards Talon until Sharon, having moved towards the electric hero, and stepped in his path.  
  
Eyes growing wide in curious uncertainty as he looked at his sister's narrowed, searching eyes, he looked surprisingly at his hand as Sharon had taken it briefly, only to pull away just as quickly. Sitting in the palm of his hand was the tracking device he put into her own hand before she was taken by Ebon. Slowly, Static raised his head to face his sister's accusatory expression before the hard slap of her hand across his face caused him grip his cheek painfully.  
  
"We need to talk!"  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: Well, I'm not entirely pleased with the fight scene, I though it could have gone smoother but towards the end of writing it was just got tired and wanted to end this chapter. I'll probably rewrite the fight scene when I have more energy, but I also wanted to send out this chapter. As you can see, I brought Talon in, though it's a little more complicated than everyone may think. Also, due to popular requests, I've reactivated Permafrost. I wasn't sure if I would, as many of the Bang Babies would have lost their powers, but I reevaluated the overall plan and figured I could work it in. I'm still not sure of her personality, so if something isn't right, let me know and I'll fix it. Again, thanks to everyone's kind comments and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Take care all. 


	8. Anger Management

Static Force

Chapter 7: Anger Management

Sharon felt herself wrapped in the warm embrace of the man she loved with every fiber of her being as Adam Evans had quickly made his way to her side to ensure himself as much as her that she was truly alright. Feeling relaxed in the comfortable arms that held her, her eyes found the feathered Bang Baby that had seemingly ended the tense battle with her unexpected presence, and wondered briefly at the suspicious and accusatory glares the three assembled heroes cast towards her.

Nervously fumbling with the small button in her hand, Sharon took a moment to look at the object for the first time, wondering how she had pulled it from her brother's shirt in her desperate attempt to keep from being drawn into the dark portal when her memory of the event had Virgil wearing a Tee Shirt. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the well-defined circle offsetting the lightning bolt insignia, the same symbol on the chest of Static Shock.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared at the electrically powered champion of Dakota, connecting the suspicions in her mind with the evidence in her hand. She must have tensed involuntarily as Adam had wrapped his arms around her tighter, mistaking the reflex for fear. But unwillingly pushing away from her lover, she focused on the young man in the black uniform and came to the unwanted revelation.

Brushing aside Adam's hand as he half-heartedly tried to stop her, Sharon moved to place herself in front of Static, her eyes burrowing into his own chocolate brown ones and seeing the familiar orbs staring back at her. Reaching to his hand, Sharon deposited the tracking device into his palm and pulled back the sleeve of his coat a quarter of an inch to gaze at the scar on his right wrist Virgil had gotten from the bike accident so many years ago.

As she saw his gaze shift from her eyes to the palm of his hand, worry and uncertainty crossing his features, she brought her hand sharply against his left cheek in an action that was more spontaneous than planned. Yet the truthful reality had forced her to accept the fact that she had been through too much this evening to react in any other fashion, and for that reason alone, she salvaged her dignity despite her obvious overreaction.

"We need to talk!" Sharon sneered, not willing to say his name in front of the collected assembly of heroes for reasons she couldn't even understand. Yet when she finally took in the group around her, her eyes fell on yet another figure as she stared unblinkingly at the shock of yellow hair protruding from the top of the techno-geniuses' head in an undisciplined fashion. Had the circumstances been different, Gear would have found her stunned look rather amusing.

Static took a moment to clutch his burning cheek as he glared at his sister but decidedly turned from her to address Talon. "Come with me." He said simply, as he began walking towards the exit, leaving a fuming Sharon to watch his retreating form.

"Don't walk away from me little brother, we need to have a serious discussion about all of this!"

"I don't have time for this now Sharon!" Static screamed a bit louder than intended as he removed the flying disc from his coat and unfolded it in his angry haste to escape his sister's wrath. "Adam, can you take her home?"

Before receiving an answer, Static sped from the structure, followed closely by Gear and Talon; Shebang trailing some distance behind but still managing to keep pace with the more mobile heroes. Once outside the foundry, Static paused to hover above the ground as he absentmindedly rubbed his stinging cheek. He found it ironic that he had no fear facing down the Meta-Breed, yet when explaining the situation to his sister, it all but terrified him.

"Dude, you know she's going to be like seriously pissed at you once you get home." Gear said, sounding, if possible, apologetic and amused at the same time. "Of course I think she figured out who I am too."

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts of the drama of his personal life, Static turned back to his friends. "I can't deal with that now," he said as he turned his attention to feathered Bang Baby. "I'd like to have a chat with Talon. You guys go on home."

Neither seemed interested their friend alone with the some-time villainous Bang Baby however as they both turned their attention to the winged young woman floating several feet away from the rest of them. It was Shebang who spoke first, "I don't think that's a good idea Static. She used to be part of the Breed, I don't think we should trust her."

"Well it just so happens no one asked you to trust me!" Talon fired back, her eyes glaring in equal dislike for the acrobatic teen.

Static sighed heavily before interceding himself into the building argument, "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. If this does happen to be a plan or ambush against me, I'll be ready, but I'd like to know some answers before I draw any conclusions. Don't worry," he said again, seeing Shebang ready to pose another protest, "I'll keep you guys in contact if I get in trouble."

Reluctantly, Gear floated a few feet away as he stared pointedly at his partner. He had absolute trust in his best friend, his judgment and his intentions; it was the rest of the world Gear tended to doubt. But nodding in silent agreement to his partner, Gear turned to fly back towards his home. Shebang took a moment longer before leaving, yet even as she did Static could see the reservations in her unspoken words.

Looking unpleasantly at the retreating young woman, Talon turned her attention back to the electrical hero, "So you want to talk, then talk."

"Not here," Static said, shaking his head slightly as he raised himself higher into the air and flew towards the bustling lights of the city, Talon following closely behind.

# # #

Adam watched Sharon as she paced the length of the ten-foot section of floor that had become her path of discovery once Static and the others had left. He fought every urge in his body to rush to her side, to hold her in his arms until she let loose the tension that had built over the course of the evening. Tell her he understood and everything would be okay and a thousand other empty words of comfort that sprang to mind that so many others used in some vain attempt to share the burden of their loved ones. But he didn't, because the small part of his brain not currently controlled by his heart had painfully reminded him that this was something she'd need to work out on her own.

But all pretenses of maintaining a distant vigil on her faded quickly as he watched her knees buckle and her body pitch forward as a painfully violent sob tore itself from her lips. Adam moved quickly, catching her even before her knees made full contact with the unyielding concrete of the foundry floor as he held her tightly in his arms and whispered all the foolish reassurances he could think of, hoping something might help.

"It can't be him," Sharon whispered, as if saying the words would make it so. "I know he can be annoying and a pain and a jerk and everything...but he's still my baby brother. It can't be him, it has to be someone else," her words echoed hollowly as she clung tightly to Adam, holding him as if she were nothing more than a terrified child. In truth, that was exactly what she was. It was all she had ever been since that hellish day six years ago when her father told the both of them that their mother would never be coming home.

In the years that followed that unbearable event, Sharon realized the painful truth of the world. Time does not heal all wounds. Not a day since that moment had she not thought of or felt the pain of her mother's death. It was a crushing weight within the center of her being, a gaping void of absence that left her hollow and empty whenever she found herself wanting to see her mother's smiling face or hear her loving words of support. And she remembered with equal clarity how she had to take over the responsibility of her mother's funeral from her father. How she would cry for hours in her own room so she could maintain the brave face in front of her family.

She had to be brave for them, be strong, just as her mother would have been. But all the pain of losing her mother came to her in a wave of emotional overload when realizing her brother was none other than Static Shock. Watching him battle against the Meta-Breed, seeing Static slammed against the large melting vat or battered around by one of the countless villains had held a different meaning for her when she believed him to be someone else's brother. But now that she knew he wasn't someone else's brother but her brother, all the fear of losing him as well seeing the pain he endured from his heroic exploits brought a sickening sense of realism to the situation.

It had been so easy to detach herself from the idea when she considered Static merely as a hero and not a person. But now the illusion was shattered as she huddled against the side of the man who held her in his failed attempt to protect her from the pain.

"It can't be him."

# # #

Ebon glided through the shadows of the Breed's underground hideout, reliving the events of the evening and examining the battle in his own mind. It hadn't been the complete failure the others believed it had been, but then that was why he was the leader. He found opportunity where others only considered disappointment.

For the most part though, they had won the battle until Talon showed up. That little mystery concerning her loyalty was now resolved however, and next time he would not be taken by surprise. Though considering her past, Static would be either a fool or desperate to trust her, and Ebon was more likely to believe that desperate fools were the most predictable kind.

But Talon's reemergence was merely an annoyance of secondary importance as the Breed now stood accusingly around the frightened and shaking form of Tamara Lawrence. Since being injected by whatever serum Gear had used on her, she had been unable to transform back into the gray-skinned monster she had been previously that night. That proved a problem, as the Breed was now one member short.

"So what happened out there tonight?" Hotstreak said, his usual sneer decorating his hateful expression. "Why she turned back to normal and why can't she turn back?"

"I'd have to say Gear was responsible for that," Puff replied, floating some feet above her companions as she nonchalantly viewed the scene beneath her.

"Yeah well, if Shiv hadn't reacted quick enough, that could have happened to any of us," Chainlink said, his back poised against the wall as he folded his muscular arms across his broad chest.

"Ha ha...that's right. I'm the hero...all praise me..." Shiv said in his singsong voice as he hyperactively bounced about the headquarters.

The others however ignored the rambling villain as they turned their attention back to the still cowering Tamara. "So what should do with her? I mean, is there anything we can do to help?" Onyx asked.

"Simple," Ebon replied, saying the word as if the solution were the most obvious answer in the world. "Dump her. She's of no use to us." After a few moments of curious looks from the Breed and begging pleas from the terrified Tamara, Ebon summoned a portal that snatched the screaming young woman from the hideout and transported her to whatever place Ebon intended.

"Ah...how sweet," a new voice echoed throughout the abandoned subway tunnel as the red skinned, scantily clad woman entered the room, the large, bat-like wings folded behind her back as her tail trailed along the ground. "That's what I call love. When a friend is in need, cut 'em loose. How wondrously benevolent you are Ebon."

The collected group turned to face the unknown intruder, each poised for the potential battle. Ebon however only smirked at the arrival. "I was wondering when you'd get here Jersey. You got the goods?"

"What the hell is going on Ebon? Who is this chick?" Hotstreak snarled, his eyes moving from the newcomer to the shadow master.

"Forget who she is, where've you been all my life?" Shiv stated as he glared lecherously at the woman and her somewhat revealing ensemble that showed off her figure to great advantage.

"Put it back in your pants Shiv," Ebon drawled as he took the satchel from Jersey and moved to the large table situated in the middle of room. "Jersey here has provided a bit of insurance for us, in exchange for joining us."

"So just like that you bring her in? We don't even know who she is." Hotstreak growled.

"I know who she is and that should be enough. Besides," Ebon replied, opening the bag to reveal its bulging contents being that of stacks of hundred dollar bills. "She's paid her dues and given us enough money to buy our way out from Alva. So now we do what we have to do to own this town."

Staring skeptically at the red-skinned Bang Baby, Puff addressed the question she was most interested in. "So, seeing as how Tamara is out of the picture now, is this Jersey...what, a replacement?"

"Not at all," Ebon smiled as he rubbed his hands together and placed the moneybag into a specifically opened portal and out of the reach of his subordinates. "Jersey was part of our group before you all knew about it. She's been working the north side and scamming jewels and other valuables from the rich folks. We'll use this money to acquire a new headquarters and set up some equipment to help us. Since Talon is out of the woodwork and Tamara may find the need to blab to save her own skin, this place won't serve us anymore.

"As for Tamara's replacement," Ebon began, turning to address his cohorts. "I've already got someone specific in mind."

# # #

Static and Talon came to stop atop the Dakota Community & Civic Center, each taking the moment of silence to gather their own thoughts before beginning their interrogations. As Talon turned towards Static, her mouth parting to express her question, the young man already pushed the words out of his mouth.

"What happened Teresa? I thought you got out of the ship before you got infected with the gas again."

Talon allowed a small smile to tug at the corner of her lips as Static called her by her name...her real name. She missed people calling by her true name and was thankful that he at least, remembered how much it meant to be remembered she was a person under the feathers. "Obviously I wasn't fast enough," she said simply, turning her attention back to the distant skyline of the city.

"Uh, I'm real sorry about that," the young hero said awkwardly. "But for what it's worth, I'm glad you showed up when you did..." Yet he never got to complete his sentence as Talon quickly interrupted.

"Let's get something straight Static," the winged young woman said, "I didn't help you or that girl or any of you tonight out of the goodness of my heart. I did it for one simple reason. I want to be changed back.

"I saw that stuff Gear used on that girl to turn her back. I want the same thing...to be normal again." Talon growled, her eyes narrowing as she addressed the hero beside her.

"How long were you watching the fight before you decided to join in?"

"I told you before Static, what's happening between you and the Breed isn't my concern. I just wanna go home." Talon said, crouching on the roof of the civic center and closing her eyes as she fought desperately to rid herself of the guilt she faced from running away from her family a second time. For a moment, Static was lost as to what to say or whether he should say anything, but Talon continued regardless.

"I miss my family Static," the young woman said, and for the first time since he'd met her, Static was permitted to see the scared and lonely girl beneath the hard exterior. "We never had a lot of money, but at least we were happy. But, I can't go home like this...I can't let my momma see me looking like this."

"Or let her know what you've done as a Meta-human?" Static said, regretting his words immediately as he unintentionally voiced his own silent accusations of the Bang Baby.

Immediately Talon was on her feet, and for the second time this night, the bitter sting of a woman's hand greeted his face. Grimacing in pain as he tenderly rubbed his cheek, Static was sure he'd have a bruise come morning.

"Don't you DARE stand there with your holier-than-thou sermon and propose to judge me you damn hypocrite!" Talon said, the anger of the hero's accusation doubled with her own guilt forced all doubt and fear from her mind as her eyes clouded with bitter tears. "Just look at yourself. Despite all that power you have, you can go home and be with your family, dress like a normal person and live a regular life. And then you look at me and ask yourself what chance I had to be normal!

"I never wanted this power. Do you think any of us wanted it? No! It turned us into freaks and misfits and the unfortunate and unwanted monsters of the city. What would have happened had we walked down the street looking like this?" Talon asked as she raised her feathered arms for emphasis, the rhetorical question apparent as she continued to purge the hate and anger that had slowly crushed her hopes ever day since the Big Bang two years ago. "The loving and caring people of this heartless metropolis would have _stoned_ us, that's what would have happened. And you stand there, throwing rocks at me...judging me for trying to survive while looking like some damn monster!"

A few bitter sobs escaped her lips as she tried desperately to bring herself under control. "I was human once, but I'm not anymore, not since the Big Bang. When Ebon came to me, he told me I'd be safe, but I had to do favors for him. Do you think I enjoyed hurting people, stealing from them? You'd be surprised at the human capacity for survival, and I did it all to survive, because if I didn't, Ebon would have thrown me out on my ear, and I'd be left with nowhere to go. I had nowhere to turn Static. Don't you understand that?"

"You could have asked me for help Teresa," he said, believing he now had permission to speak. Yet no sooner had the words escaped his lips than his ears were greeted by the taunting, mirthless laugh of the bitter young woman.

At seeing the confused expression on his face, she proceeded to explain, "You don't remember do you?" She asked, continuing only when his eyes narrowed in silent defense of his own actions. "Remember when we first met? Ebon had recruited me and Shiv for the Breed, and that other kid, D-Struct. What did you do? You fought to save D-Struct, to get him out of the Breed, and to Hell with everyone else. Did you ever stop to think he wasn't the only one wanting to be saved...to be back to normal? But you left me there like the monster you obviously considered me!

"I was glad when the antidote was used over the city and turned me back to normal. I could live my life again, and yeah, maybe I lived in the projects, but I at least had a home and a mother who worked 14-hour days trying to scrimp enough money for us to have a good life. Then Ebon had to drag me back on that ship and start the whole nightmare over again. And you stand there, judging me because I had nowhere to go and no one to trust. So maybe I did do bad things, and maybe I will regret them the rest of my life. But you don't know what I've had to go through just to survive!" Yet finally the pain had overcome the young woman as painful sobs wracking her body overtook her.

Static moved unsteadily, reaching an uncertain hand towards the suffering young woman in an attempt to offer some comfort until she batted the hand away. "I don't need your sympathy, I need your help. I want to go back to my life Static...back to my family."

Feeling his own pressures of guilt well up within him, Static nodded his head in an attempt to offer hope to the young woman, "Alright Teresa, we'll do it..."

# # #

Dr. Dennis Albright sat in his semi-comfortable prison cell, brooding over the portion of blueprints he had sketched on the piece of paper. He had a thousand such pieces of paper, the drawings and schematics broken up along countless napkins, toilet paper and whatever possible scrap of writeable surface he could find. Most guards would merely determine the odd designs as nothing more than meaningless doodles of a bored old man. How he scoffed at their uneducated ignorance.

Though today he had little interest in the master construct developed within the recesses of his brilliant mind, for today was his exoneration from prison, cleared by the governor himself. Word was that the governor believed the once notorious Dr. Menace no longer posed a threat to the civilized world and thus would serve the remainder of his sentence in the governor's new outreach program of community service and volunteer work as a substitute for prison.

The overall idea of the program was meant to decrease the overcrowding burden of the state's prisons. Thus far all it had accomplished however was a maelstrom of complaints from many community leaders up in arms over the idea of, for lack of a better word, the unsanctioned release of hardened criminals into populated areas. With the election year up and coming, the outreach program was one such proposal on the cutting block for budget reductions.

The good doctor was not at all convinced that his release was constituent of the politically suicidal program and was in fact, the probable result of money exchanging hands. His suspicions were confirmed almost immediately as he was led from the prison and greeted by two rather large men in finely tailored suits.

As the first man signed the documents held before him, the second addressed the aged scientist. "Dr. Albright, my name is York, and this is my associate Jacobs," the large man said, a look of reserved respect in his eyes as if the expression were nothing short of a mask he was instructed to wear. "Our employer would like to speak to you regarding your unique talents."

Dr. Donald Albright sized up the two men, realizing that they were not so much as thugs as they were escorts. But he had no apprehensions about going with them. After all, he already had a strong notion as to who this shadowy "employer" was.

"Very well gentlemen, it's best not to keep Mr. Alva waiting," Dr. Albright said, not even noticing the shocked expression on the faces of the two men that would have confirmed his suspicions as he walked dutifully toward the parked limousine that awaited him.

-To be continued

# # #

A/N: Well, no action in this chapter unless you consider Static's poor cheek. Yeah, I borrowed the idea from Pirates of the Caribbean...ha ha. So don't expect much action in the next couple of chapters, I'm using this time to build on the plot and characters. And yeah, Tamara is out of the Breed and Jersey is in. Honestly I'm not crazy about putting O/Cs in here but I wanted some creative liberties. So the score thus far is, Alva's plotting, the Breed's plotting and Static is struggling with his personal life and super hero responsibilities. Hee hee. Yeah, more drama and suspense to come. Again, thanks to everyone who's been kind enough to review my chapters. You guys are all great. Thanks again and hope you like what I'm doing with it...heh.


	9. Wonderland of the Mind

Static Force 

Chapter 8: _Wonderland of the Mind_

In the greatest times of stress or adversity, it was common knowledge that human nature tended to dwell upon the less productive concepts of human civilization. It seemed a far greater use of one's time to curse fate or blame the hardships suffered during life on the occasional bout of bad luck rather than to face the adversity that challenged man. Humans after all were blameless in the mishandling of their own actions, and thus if they were without fault, the blame certainly lay in the lap of whatever inconsequential deity governed the course of their lives.

The concept of fate was nothing short of a disillusioned façade by which mankind could salvage some meaning to the inexplicable meanderings of existence. Edwin Alva knew this fully, for the stars or some benevolent incorporeal benefactor did not govern life, he did. Only the scores of weak and uneducated citizens believed their lives were ruled by unseen forces. In truth, their lives were not so fortunate in the matter. God, fate and the fortunes of luck did not rule over the sheep of society, it was driven by the divine presence of the human spirit.

As he reviewed the recent reports of materials and funds requested by the brilliant Doctor Menace, Alva reclined his stylish office chair, a brief smile adorning his face as he recognized the fulfillment of his plans. The fact that he was no longer in contact with Ebon or any other member of the Meta-Breed was of no consequence to him. In the end, the realizations of his ambitions were all that mattered. Soon, the entire city would realize how truly powerless they were.

**# # #**

Static sat against the dusty couch of the abandoned gas station, the balls of his hands pressed against his eye sockets in a failed attempt to force the building migraine from his head. It had been bad enough that, when he had finally sat down with Sharon, Adam and his father to discuss her realization of his alternate life with her, she hadn't stopped screaming for the two hours he desperately attempted to defend himself. It had surprised him however that the source of her anger wasn't that he had kept it from her all this time; it was that he was risking his life at all, and her greatest fear was bearing witness to a statue of memorial in his honor to go beside the one of their mother. That fear had silenced him and he considered how to ease her mind, but even the argument of Adam's dual life hadn't affected her as she said, she knew RubberBand Man before she knew Adam. But in Virgil's case, she knew him as her brother before Static ever appeared. As odd as it sounded, it made sense.

But Static had little time to think about the situation with his sister as the dual arguing forms of Gear and Shebang now faced him, each speaking loudly in an attempt to have their words heard over the other. Though their apparent anger was directed at him, he found it slightly amusing and considerate that they had attempted to compete with each other over their own indignation.

The source of their bitter tirade however had perched on the back of an old office chair located in the far corner of the gas station as she watched the bitter exchange. Feeling the sense of déje vu, Static waited for the argument to die down enough for him to voice his own words of defense. Stealing a sideways glance at the elastic hero hovering near the confrontation but keep a safe distance, Static felt a bit reassured as RubberBand Man offered a solemn smile in the hopes of comforting the verbally assaulted teenager.

"What were you thinking V, bringing her here? Talk about security issues!"

"I don't trust her! We need to bounce her feathered butt right out of here!"

It was usually the same argument regardless, a string of complaints that would repeat themselves every five minutes or so, and Static had stopped listening some fifteen minutes ago. However his patience was spent last night during his attempted conversation with his sister and he wondered inwardly how he had lasted so long listening to his two allies.

Extending his fingers and allowing a series of electrical tendrils to dance across the interior of the head quarters, Static stood up and stared at his two friends. "I've had enough of this, both of you shut up!"

The unexpected outburst had silenced the pair as they stared, surprised at their appointed leader. "The reason I brought her here was there was no where else for her to go. Yes, I understand the security risks Gear, and yes, I'm not sure if I trust her either Shebang, but she came to us asking for help, and I made a promise that we would help her. And that," he said, a spark of electricity dancing from his eyes, "is why she is here."

The two fell silent, Shebang crossing her arms and glaring at the electrically charged hero as if his answer had not satisfied her, Gear dropping his face to stare at the ground and shuffled his feet from side to side. It was a tense, awkward moment, yet taking a deep breath; Static pushed forward regardless, ignoring Shebang's unspoken protests.

"Gear, do you have any more of that serum you used at the warehouse to turn Tamara back to normal?"

Gear raised his head sheepishly and gazed at his best friend in reserved embarrassment, "No, sorry Static. Shiv snagged the only mixture I had of it and tossed it towards Ebon who teleported it away. No telling where it went. But I can make up some more. It may take a while, but it shouldn't be a problem."

Static took a moment to steal a glance at the patiently waiting Talon before turning back to Gear. However, before he could speak again, the blaring alarm from Backpack's warning system caused everyone in the gas station to tense as they stared at the portable robot.

"Well this is unusual," Gear responded, two fingers pressed against the side of his helmet as if the action caused the monitor within his visor to come into sharper focus. "It appears the Breed aren't into consolidation any more. They've hit both the Dakota Bank and Trust and Mercy General Hospital. If what I'm reading is correct, they synchronized their plan. They hit both locations within minutes of each other."

"Great, and their both on opposite sides of the city," Shebang said, her arms unfolding as she tensed her body for the preparing conflict.

"Well, we're going to hit them both as well," Static replied, looking at the group around him. Adam, you and Shebang take care of County General, I'll take Talon and stop the bangers at the bank." The plan was met with immediate objection however as three of the assembled occupants raised their own concerns.

"Why you taking her?"

"What V, you want me to stay here?"

"Who ever said I was helping you in the first place?"

Static looked at RubberBand Man in so hope of support but the elastic hero could only muster a small, sympathetic smile as he shrugged his shoulders. "Enough," The electric hero said for the second time, trying to get everyone's attention. "Shebang, you and RubberBand Man's powers don't focus on energy, and you two are the best at stealth, we need to protect the patients above all else, and jumping into the fight and shooting electricity isn't going to help the situation. Gear, I need to you stay and work on an antidote to turn Teresa back to normal. Also I want you to monitor us from here. I don't like the idea that we're separated like this so in case we get in trouble, you need to keep us in contact."

Turning back to Talon, Static took a deep sigh and prepared to convince the feathered Bang Baby he needed her to assist him. "Since Gear is staying to fix you a cure, that puts us one person down, and I need your help Teresa. As an act of good faith."

"Fine," Talon remarked, frowning bitterly yet resigning herself to help her one-time enemy. "But you better not expect this to be a regular event."

"Don't worry about that Talon," Shebang snapped as she stepped between Static and the winged young woman, "as soon as Gear fixes you back to normal, your butt is out of here. And if you ever tell anyone about this place, I'll hunt you down myself!"

Talon smirked as she parted her lips, allowing a small screech to exit her mouth that buffeted against the martial artist and caused her to stumble back into Static. "Don't worry cupcake, I'm out of here once I get that cure. I've had enough of being a freak to last me a dozen life times." Turning her back on the assembled heroes, Talon walked out of the gas station and took to the air.

"I don't like it Static, and I don't trust her," Shebang said, turning slightly to address her friend. "Just be careful." Leaving the headquarters followed by RubberBand Man, Static shook his head slightly as he looked at his partner, the tech genius offering only a slight smirk as he watched his friend shake his head again before leaving.

**# # # **

Grendel had spent a greater part of the past week scouting Mercy General Hospital, his sorrowful eyes alert for any doctor he felt might be able to help him revert back to his normal self. He wasn't sure how he would locate such an expert and even less certain how he would begin to approach the doctor in question, but it was the only semblance of hope he had.

Of course, that was before the two other people had entered the hospital. He hadn't even paid attention to them, and would have paid no mind to them at all had the red-haired individual not hurled a fireball into the unattended ambulance, causing it to explode in a violent burst of fire. Grendel ducked further back into his alley, watching the carnage as the fire wielding villain tormented the screaming people while the second man, using a series of long snaking tentacles tore through cars and harassed any civilian the arsonist managed to miss in his torment.

He was angry at the scene of destruction, realizing these men were something from a child's nightmare, cruel, vindictive and for lack of a better work, evil. But despite his own observations, Grendel was afraid, not only of the powerful criminals, but of the people's reactions to them. They would fear him as much as they feared their attackers. And despite his willingness to belong in the world, he knew he was as removed from civilization as the two vandals.

With a deep sigh that shook his body at the realization, Grendel turned his back on the chaos and left to return to his hiding.

**# # #**

Static and Talon had arrived at the bank in relatively fast time, swooping into the large, cavernous hole that welcomed the two into the chaos inside. It was nothing short of literal anarchy as Puff and Onyx thought to torment the terrified patrons who sought to seek cover beneath desks, chairs or whatever could be used to protect them from the powerful Bang Babies.

Puff giggled gleefully as she swooped about, dive-bombing the terrified hostages while Onyx worked on ripping the vault from the wall. Making a quick decision, Static signaled Talon to stop Puff while he dealt with Onyx.

It was simple enough for Talon, as the acidic young woman had not realized that Static had arrived. Yet as Talon swooped to intercept the floating villain, her eyes fell on a terrified young woman cradling a screaming infant in her arms as she pleaded with the aerial criminal not to harm her child. An unfamiliar and equally unpleasant pain stabbed that the center of Talon's being as she quickly moved to batter Puff aside and away from the frightened crowd.

"I'm surprised you have the guts to show your face Talon," Puff smiled at her former ally as she allowed a gust of acidic wind to pass from her mouth. "You know your marked don't you? The Breed will never forgive you for betraying us, and don't ask what Hotstreak has planned for you."

Using her wings to shift the current of air and disperse the toxic cloud, Talon let loose a sonic screech that sent the taunting Bang Baby colliding with the wall of the bank and knocking her to the ground.

Static had magnetically sealed the vault door and was currently avoiding the large, crushing hands of Onyx as the powerful Bang Baby continued to swipe at the agile young man, like a giant trying to swat a fly. However the slight distraction from the Shock Vox caused Static to struggle as he avoided another swing by the stony villain.

"What is it Gear, I'm a bit busy," Static snarled into the communications consol as he avoided another near grab.

"We've got a problem Static," Gear's voice broke across the silence, his tone near panicked. "Get out of there now. Shebang and RBM just told me that no sooner than they arrived that Ebon apparently teleported Hotstreak and Chainlink from the scene. The Bank and hospital were only decoys. Word just came in where Ebon is attacking..."

Static watched in stunned silence as two identical vortex appeared within the walls of the bank, taking both Onyx and Puff from the confrontation. Talon had made an attempt to follow the smirking Puff, yet the portal had repelled her, as if Ebon's purpose was to bring back only his allies. "Where are they Gear?"

**# # #**

Ebon, Shiv and Jersey had found it relatively easy to infiltrate the Dakota State Penitentiary, having faced little less than mild resistance, much to the chagrin of Shiv. The prison itself was not actually in Dakota but the neighboring suburb of Glensboro, thus Puff orchestrated the bate and switch plan that distracted Static and his crew while Ebon and his team made their way towards their target.

Maximum security obviously meant something different to the guards of the prison as Ebon shook his head at the body of the unconscious prison officer that fell at the feet of the cackling Shiv. Feeling the need to expunge his growing excitement at having new victims to torment, the blademaster used the energy of his power to slice through the nearest bars of the prison cellblock, allowing the shaken but thankful inmate the opportunity to slip past the trio and make his escape.

"Interesting crowd you run with Ebon," Jersey purred as she continued to make her way down the hallway towards their determined destination, shaking her head in mild disbelief as Shiv continued to separate the cell bars from the wall.

"It's all part of the plan Jersey," Ebon remarked, smirking as another score of inmates hurried down the passageway, many stopping by the unconscious and incapacitated officers to relieve them of whatever weapons they possessed. "The guards will be so worried trying to gather the rest of the inmates they won't even bother looking for us. Not that it matters. We only need to get our passenger and get out of here."

"Really, and who might that be?" Jersey asked suggestively as she turned her face to watch as Shiv seemed intent on taunting the man inside the prison cell, his voice yelling obscenities at the cackling thug.

"Looks like Shiv found him," Ebon responded, gliding to the front of the prison cell and looking at the large, heavyset young man inside.

Seeing Ebon, Heavy C started barking out orders at his one time running buddy. "Bout time you got here Ebon, I was about to put a hurtin on this cretin."

"Not likely Slipstream, what with that shiny little inhibitor collar they have you wearing."

"Just get me out of here Ebon, I've been wasting away in this jail cell."

"Yeah, you look like you lost some weight," the shadow master remarked sarcastically before turning to Shiv and nodding his head once. The energy focused blade master tore through the bars with simple ease as the heavy, reinforced steel fell to the floor, allowing the thick set delinquent to step into the hallway. "Jersey, you want to undo that collar of his?"

The red-skinned woman shrugged her shoulders as if the matter made little difference to her and worked on decoding the circuitry that suppressed his power. However her patience were spent by the annoying antics of Shiv and now as she grew bored in her attempt to disconnect the collar, she unleashed a blast of phosphoric energy into the inhibitor, frying the circuitry.

Heaving a heavy sigh of relief as the two halves of the neck ring fell to the floor, Slipstream smiled in triumph as he turned his face toward the cell that had been his home for nearly a year, a great blast of wind that came from no where yet encompassed everything tore through the wall and blasted the contents of his cell into the open air.

"Now I can see why you were so eager to recruit him," Jersey said, an appraising smile donning her features.

Ignoring her obvious comment, Ebon addressed Slipstream, "Remember our arrangement Heavy C, we get you out, you help us out."

"Hey man, the code of the street ain't lost on me. You got an ally brudder."

**# # #**

Static had not stopped mentally criticizing himself since he had returned to the gas station. The entire operation had been a debacle from the beginning, and despite his unease at having split the team to handle the multiple threats; he was unprepared for the attack on the prison that, by all intents and purposes, was Ebon's real target.

Five prison guards were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, and of the twenty-seven prisoners to escape the maximum-security cellblock eleven were still at large. Of course, that still had not erased the failure of capturing either of the two pairs of villains that terrorized both the Dakota Bank and Trust and Mercy General Hospital nor the damage inflicted by their attack.

"Some days you need to take a step back to look at the larger picture," Gear had said upon the arrival of the four would be saviors. Though managing to secure many of the escaped convicts, they had arrived at Dakota Federal Penitentiary too late to stop Ebon, and it was evident that that had been his whole purpose.

The rest had gathered in a semi-circle, with the exception of Talon who returned to her corner to observe the proceedings, each staring apprehensively as Static paced the length of the cluttered gas station, the occasional burst of electricity shooting aimlessly from his body as he did so.

"It wasn't a complete loss," Shebang said, trying desperately to ease the young man's mind and looking towards the others in some plea of assistance, "we all came back in one piece. At least now we know they wanted someone from the prison."

"No," Static replied, his eyes glowing menacingly as he turned towards his friends, "they succeeded in breaking someone out of prison and caused a lot of innocent people to get hurt. That was my failure."

"You can't do this to yourself man," RubberBand Man said, taking a step forward and placing his hand on the younger man's shoulders in an attempt to calm his nervous tirade. "We're part of team, right? That means we all share the blame and failures along with the successes. You think any of us don't feel badly about what happened to those guards? But we can't dwell on what went wrong. We need to figure out how to make it better."

Static paused, his eyes closed tightly in absorption as he listened to Adam's declaration. Nodding his head briefly, he took the words to heart, the worst of his self-destructive musings behind him. "Your right. You're all right. I'm sorry..."

"Don't sweat it V," Gear smiled to his partner. "We've all had our down times too, just don't forget that we're here for you like you're always there for us."

Static smiled warmly at his best friend, thankful for the friends around him. Yet the sudden, nervous movement in the corner had drawn everyone's attention to Talon as she sheepishly turned her eyes to the floor. For the most part, everyone had forgotten she was there, the vial of serum Gear had concocted held tightly in her hands, but they had all been preoccupied by the failures of the day to realize she was still there.

Taking a few unsure steps toward the assembled heroes, Talon raised her head to face Static, "Can I talk to you for a minute Static?" It was the only words she had spoken since returning from the bank with the electric hero, and when they slipped past her lips, the words were cautious and uncertain.

A confused look crossing his face as he watched Talon leave the gas station; Static shrugged his shoulders and looked back at his friends. As no one appeared to make any objections, though Shebang's expression said more than words could, Static followed the feathered teen from the headquarters, into the bright light of the afternoon sun.

Surprised to see her waiting for him on the roof of a nearby office building, Static expanded his flying disc and propelled himself to meet the Bang Baby. When he came within a sight of the young woman, he saw her fumbling with the glass vial, as if working out some prepared speech in her mind.

"What's up Talon?" Static asked, taking a step towards the uncertain figure yet keeping a relative distance.

Staring at the vial for a few more moments before speaking, she drew in a quick breath before starting. "I've some bad things in my life haven't I?"

It was a rhetorical question, as Static had no idea how else to answer it than to simply let it pass unsaid between them.

"I never really realized how much I did before you know," she asked again, yet still her eyes were fixed on the vial that, to her mind held her salvation. "But when we were at the bank, and I saw that terrified woman holding the baby, the only thought that came to my mind was my mother. And I felt this guilt when I remembered that not too long ago, I was the one tormenting people and hurting them. It made me sick realizing that.

"All I ever wanted was to be normal," she said again, clutching the serum tightly in her hand. "To be able to go back to my mother, help her so she doesn't have to kill herself working so my sister and I can get a good education and get out of the life she's strapped to. But as I realized how terrified that woman was as Puff was about to attack her, I realized that all the things I've done won't ease the guilt. How can I go back to my mother with all the hateful, horrible crimes I've committed?"

Talon paused a moment to brush a tear from her eye as stared again at the potion, the lure of using it and being free from the monster she saw whenever she looked in the mirror nearly overpowering her resolve to complete her confession. "I've done some bad things." It wasn't a question this time, more a declaration of self-discovery. Yet as she tore her eyes away from the alluring vial in her hand, she quickly turned and held the vial out to Static.

His brow furrowing in confusion, Static unsteadily reached out his hand and took to test tube from Talon. "I know it's wrong of me to ask you this, and if you say no I'll understand," Talon began, closing her eyes as she took another deep breath as if preparing herself for a particularly difficult confrontation. "But, and believe me, I want to be human again more than anything, but I want to do it with a clean slate."

After another moment of silence, where Static considered what could be said and Talon contemplated how to continue, the latter spoke again. "I want to make up for all the bad things I've done Static, but I don't think I'll ever be able to do that without being who I am now. So, if I can ask you for a favor, please keep that antidote for me. When I finish repaying my debts for all the wrong I've done, then I'll take it. But for now...if you think you could use another person to help you, then I'd like to offer."

Static remained silent for several moments. Internally, he had some reservations about accepting Talon's assistance, yet her words were painfully honest and touched him in their desperate sincerity. Sighing, he walked toward the edge of the roof and turned toward Talon. "Come on, let's see what the others say. I can't promise they'll accept you, but we'll see what they say."

-To be continued

**# # #**

A/N: I must say, I have the greatest group of reviewers any fanfic writer could ask for. If you'll beg my forgiveness, I'd like to thank a bunch of you who've helped make my story more focused. I greatly appreciate it.   
Mightierdandasword: Your reviews and questions always get me thinking about my overall plan and help me work out some issues that may develop that I hadn't thought of. I really appreciate it. 

**Sparky Genocide**: Your reviews are always short, sweet and to the point. Thanks for taking the time to let me know what you think; it really does inspire me to write more.

**Worker72**: I do admit, Sharon did seem a bit OOC to me, and I wanted to avoid that, but her shock of learning Static's identity was based more on her willingness to believe it wasn't him than to find out it was. Regardless, thanks for pointing out that bit of confusion, I'll try to fix it between the "loving" siblings.

**possom2009**: Don't worry, I have some interesting theories regarding Gear's antidote for Talon, but all good things come.

**trecebo**: Heh, thanks to your suggestion, I avoided the whole conversation between Sharon and Virgil about the discovery and just had him chicken out. I was actually considering the fight between them until you made your plea not to have the a-typical argument when the powers are discovered and I think it worked out better that way. Thanks for your suggestions, they do help and I do use them.

**android181**: You always have great ideas that help me shape my story android. Unfortunately I have no intentions to bring Nightingale into the story, and in my opinion, the only love interest for Static should be Daisy with the whole Lois Lane/Mary Jane thing going on. But thank you so much for your interest in giving me some great ideas.

**Kate Maxwell**: Always among the first to review my chapters. Thanks much for all of your kind words and recommendations Kate; they've helped inspire me quite a bit.

**RaiAl**: Sorry for the suspense and I try to get the chapters out quickly but it doesn't always happen. A special thanks to you Rai because you let me in on the mysteries of Permafrost. I hope I do her justice. Again, thanks for your patience and reviews.

**Shadow-Spider**: Thank you for all your kind and enthusiastic words that help inspire me to keep writing.

Please forgive me if I've forgotten anyone. It's completely unintentional. Again, thank you to everyone who's read my story and helped me correct my dismal punctuation or led me to consider a new angle for my story. You're all wonderful people and I thank you all.


	10. When Life Hits the Fan

Static Force 

Chapter 9: _When Life Hits the Fan_

The Dakota Civic and Community Center was nothing less than the city's final vestige of social redemption. Acting as a buffer between the lure of street life and the stability of family, the community center had saved a great number of teens in danger of slipping into the violent cycle that had swallowed so many of Dakota's once promising young adults. In many ways, the work of the community center was nothing short of an act of desperation, in the hopes of reaching out to the many teens within the great city whose lives were constantly challenged under the threat of an ever increasingly violent world.

And so, as Static and Talon made their way stealthily through the facility to the office of Robert Hawkins, the former allowed a self-mocking smile to cross his face at the difficulty he was having in the present course he was traveling while not being seen by the assembled participants of the center. The last thing he needed after yesterday's unnerving jailbreak as well as the tension building between Ebon and his gang and his own allies were to draw attention to himself.

After Talon had made her heartfelt plea to him to help fight against Ebon and protect the city, Static had returned to the gas station to inform his friends, and to have it put to a vote as to whether Talon should join. After all, he was their appointed leader, but he respected their decisions and council greatly. The only real surprise he got from the voting was Gear's outright rejection of the request, advising his best friend, _in great length,_ of all the difficulties she had given them in the past. Adam had agreed to it however, reminding them that he himself was given a second chance and everyone deserves a chance for redemption. Shebang's reply was no surprise at all however, as she looked prepared to bounce both Static and Talon, the former for suggestion the idea and the latter...just because.

Thus, the decision was split, and so Static allowed Talon to make her choice. Knowing she would not be trusted and often looked upon with suspicion, the feathered Bang Baby nodded her head and chose to help Static and his allies. She had information after all, and contacts for several criminals that would be helpful. But despite how helpful she would be to their cause, she was painfully sincere in her desire to right the wrongs of her past, and for that, she didn't need any of their permission.

That had led the two of them here, Static moving in the shadows while Talon crawled along the rafters. After what seemed an eternity and a heartbeat, Static found himself facing the door of his father's office. Looking toward the winged teenager perched above him, Static signaled for her to stay until he'd call for her before knocking on the office door.

A grunt of acknowledgment from the other side of the barred entryway caused Static to smile again, realizing how busy his father must be and wishing he could find some other way, before opening the door and entering the modest office. His father had not bothered to look up as the door opened and closed, and only when the young man took the chair in the far corner did he acknowledge his presence.

Slight alarm crossed his face as he looked at his costumed son, wondering what would cause him to arrive fully uniformed. "To what do I owe the honor?" His father asked, as a slight, teasing smile played at the corner of his lips.

Taking a deep breath as the younger man closed his eyes, Static looked at his father, a strange weight of uncertainty shining from his own orbs. "Remember when you told me that if I ever needed to talk things out to just ask," the hero began, his words coming as a fast, unrestrained confession. "Well, I could use your advice."

Surveying his son with great interest, Robert reclined his ample frame in his worn office chair as he fought the urge to massage the sudden pressure that began to build along the bridge of his nose. The best he could manage however was a weary smile to try to ease his son's mind. He could never confess to being comfortable with his son's other life, and he desperately missed the days when his biggest concerns belonged to the uncertainty of putting his children through college, not wondering if they'd come home bruised, battered or even at all. But regardless of his deepest fears, he had made the promise to the young man, and despite his own worries, he could not resist the smile of unquestionable pride whenever he would see footage of the heroic acts of the charismatic champion he called his son. How many fathers, he often wondered, could be blessed with that.

"You know I'm always here for you Virgil, nothing will ever change that," Robert began, his paternal smile easing his son's initial apprehension.

Swallowing hard before nodding his head in understanding, Static began. "I may have done something that upset some of the other members of the team."

Raising one curious eyebrow at his son's statement, Mr. Hawkins waited for his son to continue. "You remember the Bang Baby named Talon? Uh...feather, used to fly around and cause a bunch of trouble," Static added at the blank expression he received from the older man. When no sign of recognition greeted the hero he continued. "Yeah, well...there are a bunch of Bang Babies out there. Anyway, she's helped Gear and me out of a couple of tough scrapes, but she was still a criminal. But...she says she wants to reform and help us fight Ebon...and honestly, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea. I mean, Adam said she should get a second chance, since he got one, but Shebang was absolutely outraged over the idea...and I'm not sure if I'm driving a wedge between us."

"What do you think son?" His father asked. He recognized the tactic immediately; it was what his father did when he wanted either Sharon or himself to solve a particularly difficult problem for themselves while he acted merely as the guide, keeping them focused.

"I'm not sure anymore," the younger man said, a sad smile creasing his lips. "I believe her when she said she wanted to help us, but I don't know how that's going to throw off the team dynamic. If they don't trust her..."

"Do they trust you?"

The question caused Static to pause for a moment, his eyes narrowing in thought as he contemplated the purpose of the question. "Well, yeah...they sort of named me the leader."

"And you trust her, correct?"

"I'd like to...it's just not that easy."

Robert smiled, indulging his son's naiveté at life. "Son, there is nothing easier in this world than trust. All the bonds that people hold with one another are built on trust. If you trust her, and your friends trust you, then eventually you'll bridge that gap between them."

"But I'm not sure if it's for the best..."

"Sometimes son, what is for the best is not always what is right."

Adam Evans rested peacefully on the couch of his modestly tasteful apartment. It had been a hectic couple of weeks since his return from tour, but despite the supernatural drama that had consumed his life, he was most grateful to be back.

His mind drifted alternately between his own troubled thoughts and the peace he felt in the arms of woman by his side. Resting his head comfortably on Sharon's shoulder, he would not restrain the smile forming on his face if he could, as she used her free hand to cradle his cheek. It was amazing in times like these, that all the world's problems still hung over his head, yet were quickly forgotten with just a simple gesture from this one incredible woman. If he could have but one wish, it would be to stay like this forever.

"What are you thinking about?" Sharon asked as her soft, sleepy voice sent a shiver down Adam's spine. He had never experienced love at this level before, an unquestionable and unrelenting passion that could, in an instant, destroy him and bring him back to life stronger than before. And he mused over the notion that, if just her voice could affect him so, touching those perfect lips to his would cause every fiber in his body to explode.

"Just thinking," Adam said as he pulled the small woman closer to him while nuzzling her head against her shoulder. "I'm thinking over my past, and realize I must be the luckiest man in the world. I was also thinking," he said, taking another moment to turn his head and gently lay his lips against the curve of Sharon's neck, "that I pray to God that I never take that for granted."

The small confession brought a generous smile to Sharon as she gazed at her lover. "You won't, because I'll keep reminding you." She played, placing her own head against his. "Besides, I was thinking the same thing. Only that, all I have to do to remind myself of my luck is look at you."

Adam turned his body and cradled Sharon's face between his hands as he brought her lips against his. In all his life, he had never been so right about anything. At the slightest contact with the beautiful woman in his arms, his universe exploded.

Doctor Donald Todd moved nervously about his laboratory, adjusting vials and confirming the temperature of boiling beaker. He could not escape the sense of unease that had clutched his very soul since his meeting with Edwin Alva. Things were getting too out of hand and if need be, he would take the entire story of the bang baby gas to the media, his own professionalism be damned.

But as he moved to retrieve an unused test tube to check the validity of the serum he was producing, a black, shadowy hand gripped his wrist.

"Long time no see Doc," Ebon sneered as he gazed at the terrified scientist, a handful of other bang babies flanking the shadow master. "You wouldn't happen to be cooking up more of that antidote would you?" With but a flick of his head, Ebon summoned a vortex beneath the desk that quickly swallowed the efforts of Dr. Todd's research.

Shiv cackled madly as he moved from behind his leader, glaring as he took pleasure in transforming his hands into various weapons, each more terrifying and frightful than the last. Raking the room with his frantic eyes in an effort to find an escape, Dr. Todd understood the inevitable.

"So then, do you tend to kill me?" Dr. Todd replied, trying and failing desperately to sound braver than he felt.

"Killing you won't do any good doc. You see, people would ask too many questions if we did something like that. Instead, we've got other plans for you."

At those words, the red skinned Jersey moved into place, coming to stand inches in front of Dr. Todd. "Don't worry," she purred as she placed her hands on sides of his head. "If this hurts, just scream."

And he did.

Virgil stretched out on his couch, working the tension from his body as his mind replayed the events earlier that day with his father. He couldn't help but smile at the memory of his father's advice, yet was equally happy that he offered his assistance to the feathered Bang Baby. Though, that assistance came with a few conditions he was certain Talon would accept.

The Civic Center had, within the past year, began building dorms in an attempted outreach program to house troubled teens in an alternate environment than juvenile detention centers. As of yet, the program had not gotten off the ground, but his father agreed to allow Talon to use one of the rooms as a home, a place where she could rest without being disturbed by other people. Of course, the conditions were quite simple. Three times a week, the elder man would require that Talon scheduled counseling with him or his daughter. The other condition was that Talon would need to tell her mother where she had gone.

Mr. Hawkins had been most adamant about that point, knowingly saying that no parent wanted to be without knowledge of his or her child. At that point Static had left the two to discuss the arrangement, yet never moving too far away lest something happened. He hated not trusting Talon, but much of what Gear reminded him of had stuck to his mind. Even still, he wanted to give her a chance to at least prove him wrong.

So as he leaned back on the couch, his eyes closed against the glaring light that filtered through the large whole that stood where his living room wall had once been, Virgil sighed deeply as he tried to ease his mind of the emotional weight that had all but consumed his life as of late. Yet as he felt his body relax into the hazy realm that existed just beyond consciousness, the blaring tones from the television woke him, as the symbol of the local news channel's special report stared tauntingly at him from the screen.

"This is Shelley Sandoval," the easily recognizable reporter said, her face and posture grim and businesslike. "Coming to you live from city hall where we have been advised that an emergency city council meeting has just concluded. The topic of concern surrounding this impromptu meeting is to address the growing violence among the meta-human community here in Dakota.

"Wait just a moment," Shelley said, pressing her fingers to the unseen speaker poised against her ear. "We've just received word that the mayor is having an emergency press conference. We go to you live."

The scene quickly changed to one of an immaculately decorated chamber, large wooden pillars framed the background behind the middle-aged woman at the microphone.

"Citizens of Dakota," the mayor began, his words heavy as if his declaration was one of undeniable importance. "Over the past several months, our city has fallen under the threat of attacks that have injured countless innocent people, and have caused tens of millions of dollars in property damage.

"It is fortunate, despite our current crisis, that many business leaders in our community, headed by Mr. Edwin Alva, have stepped up to offer financial support and the means by which to rectify the damage done. Be that as it may, it does not solve the problems at hand."

The mayor paused a moment to study the crowd for no other reason than to add validity to the importance of his next statement. "Having conferred with our city council, business and community leaders as well as our leaders of the emergency services, we have come to the painful realization that we can not handle this crisis alone.

"Therefore, under the new ratification emitted into the city charter, we are authorizing the forming of a new and separate policing force known as the Special Crimes Unit. The SCU was adopted from the special unit founded in Metropolis, and we have their full support to move forward with our sister program.

"The job and responsibility of the SCU will be to police and quarantine the activities of all meta-humans within the city of Dakota. We cannot allow our people to suffer any longer at the hands of these thugs."

Immediately the room echoed with a thousand requests from reporters to have their questions answered. It took a moment of confused concentration before the mayor could focus on a single reporters inquiry.

"Madam Mayor, Matt Nickels, _the Dakota Chronicle_, what about the Bang Babies, Static Shock and others who are determined to stop the violence?"

A mirthless, mocking laugh echoed from the mayor as she addressed the reporter. "Mr. Nickels, of all that I have seen of the destruction, reports of Static Shock's so-called heroic activities have only led to greater devastation. From all accounts, the self-proclaimed protectors of Dakota are nothing more than a common street gang with super powers. The actions of the entire Bang Baby population, for that matter, are nothing short of a gang war, and it's the innocent people who are caught in the crossfire. No Mr. Nickels, we will not allow another tragedy to befall Dakota as it did during the riots."

"Will the SCU be able to counteract the actions of the Meta-Human population Mrs. Mayor?"

"The principle of the SCU's founding here in Dakota is based off of the success they have had in dealing with Meta-Humans in Metropolis. But of course, we can take no chances. If we find the SCU ill-equipped to deal with the present crisis, I have the governor's approval to authorize a state-of-emergency for Dakota. But that is not what we want. Your city officials have worked tirelessly to secure the safety of our citizens and we will not let it be threatened by a potential war between the Bang Babies.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, and all citizens of Dakota," the mayor began, each word announced with slow purpose. "From this day forward, any and all Meta-human activity, will be considered an act of terrorism."

There was more to the speech, Virgil knew there was but couldn't focus on the face or words that came from the television. He suddenly felt smothered as a deep, unrelenting chill had taken possession of his heart and spread to the extremities of his body. And despite his inability to breath properly from the horrifying sense of betrayal, he paid no attention to the tear that ran the course of his cheek.

-To be continued

A/N: Another evil cliffhanger. Ha ha. Hope you guys like it. Now you've gotten a sample of Alva's plan. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. More is sure to come, be sure of that. Again, thanks to everyone who reads and reviews my work. I am most thankful.


	11. Distinction

**Static Force**

Chapter 10: **_Distinction_**

Virgil leaned casually against the hospital wall, his gaze drawing his mind from the sole occupant of the room as he stared out into the city he had come to both love and protect. That same city, however, or more precisely its elected officials, had not been so gracious in returning his devotions as in a politically charged address, the mayor had labeled himself and all meta-humans for that matter, as nothing less than terrorists.

Since the public announcement nearly a week ago, Virgil had come to the slow realization that he had, quite simply, lost control of his life. Understandably, public scrutiny concerning the hard line militant stance against all Bang Babies was sharply divided with each side of the political pressure cooker voicing their own heated opinions. Virgil, however, had found the very same publicly voiced concerns expressed among his own group.

Each of his friends had taken a vastly different stance on the subject, causing more than a few heated arguments amongst them. Gear was of the belief that laying low until the situation had absolved itself was the safest and soundest strategy while Shebang, in her obstinate wisdom, believed the best course of action was simply business as usual, the police and politicians be damned. Talon, however, never missed the opportunity to repeatedly remind everyone that perhaps they now understood the degree of prejudice she had suffered at the hands of the public. On the other hand, Adam, as always, had taken an introspective approach and offered little more than silent support to the electric-powered young man. None of it helped Virgil however, as with each day he was forced to dwell upon the separate philosophies of his friends, mull their ideas about in his mind and be as lost in his own torrent thoughts as he was when he had started.

The stirring form of the elderly man in the hospital bed distracted Virgil from his thoughts as he turned his attention to the man he'd come to see.

"Well hello Sparky," Morace Grant said, a sleepy smile parting his lips as he stared unfocusedly at the teenager. For a moment Virgil wasn't sure if the old man was addressing him or suffering delusions and called him by the name of his old sidekick. Yet the answer to that question remained hidden as a deep, shuddering sigh escaped the elder's lips while he slowly shook his head. "Have a seat Virgil."

Following the instructions of the older man, Virgil found the hospital chairs to be less than comfortable, yet pulled his seat close to the bed. "How are you doing Mr. Grant?"

"Can't say I haven't been better, but I guess that's what happens when you get old." He responded, a slight chuckle emanating past his pasty lips, the gentle laugh sounding grossly out of place. Then, with a scrutinizing look, Mr. Grant studied Virgil a bit more carefully. "How are you doing hot shot?"

Virgil opened his mouth to respond '_fine'_ or something equally untrue, but no words came past his lips and he settled with an unconvincing shrug.

"I can imagine," Morace smiled sadly, his deep brown eyes screaming in sympathy for the teenager. "I've seen the news footage. The nurses don't like me watching much because they think I get too excited over it, but I sneak some peaks at it. Anyway, I'm a bit surprised that the mayor is so eager to label you with the same mark as those causing all the destruction. Can't be an easy thing to handle."

"No, it's not," Virgil said absently, not even paying attention to the weight of his words.

Giving another serious once over to the younger man, Morace drew himself up into a semi-sitting position. "So, what do you intend to do?"

The puzzled expression from the teenager rewarded the elderly man with a somewhat dry chuckle. The difficulties of life were never simple enough to be summed up or answered with but a few words, and that was a lesson the young hero was fast learning.

"I'm not really sure," the teen said, his eyes shifting once again to gaze out the window. "I never thought the entire city would turn against me; or...at least a good part of it anyway. It's just not simple anymore."

At this Morace laughed long and hard, his throat scratching under the strain. "Was it ever simple boy? Why did you ever don the costume in the first place?"

"Because..." the younger said, his voice trailing off in silent contemplation.

"Was it to play hero? Or to be respected by everyone, loved and honored for your greatness?"

"No, it was never about that." Virgil continued, squeezing his eyes shut as he thought to put all the uncertainty into words. "I always wanted to make a difference. But, listening to what the mayor said...about us causing as much destruction as the Meta-Breed, I kind of think she has a point."

"Sounds like you got it all figured out already...so why come to visit this tired old man?"

"Because I'm not so sure anymore Mr. Grant. Has anything like this ever happened to you?" Virgil asked, his eyes pleading with the elder hero to bestow whatever wisdom was available.

"Back in my time? No, politicians usually used the super heroes to get themselves elected. Trust was maintained within the common good to support the community. Now it's all about profit and money." Morace said sadly, taking a moment to drink a bit of water from the Styrofoam cup at his bedside table. "Though, I'm sure you didn't come all this way to ask my political views."

Staring uncertainly at the amused smile Morace wore, Virgil shook his head. "No, I wanted your advice on what I should do."

Again, the fatigue of a lifetime of decision-making filtered into every line on Morace's aged face. Closing his eyes he sighed deeply before answering. "I can't tell you that." Upon seeing the confused and somewhat disappointed expression on the teenager's face, Morace continued. "A few years ago, I saw a news conference with Superman. In it he said, 'There is right and wrong within this world, and that distinction is not difficult to make.' You have to make the distinction for yourself what is right and wrong within your own life. Of all the gifts you have, that is the only one that can never be taken away."

"But...that means we'll be hunted by the SCU," Virgil said, his forehead moving forward to lean against the edge of the bed.

"Sounds to me like you've already made your distinction," the smiling old man said, his eyes twinkling slightly. "You can't be bothered by the 'buts' and 'what ifs' of life Virgil. When you begin questioning why you're doing it, then its time to hang up the costume."

Virgil nodded his head only briefly, but it was a reaction Morace acknowledged as a larger smile crossed his face. "That reminds me, I've got something for you boy," the older man said, pointing to the coat that hung over the chair. "It's in the front pocket."

The teenager picked up the coat and hesitantly began fishing his fingers through the pockets of the other man's jacket, coming away with a long, thin disk that looked like a flattened remote control. "That's it," Morace said, smiling fondly at the memory of the device the younger man held in his hand. "What you have there is the access key to the Power Pad. It's yours now."

Virgil looked at the device before raising his eyes to address his protest, only to have his objections halted by the aged hero. "That place won't do me any good anymore. It may be a bit out-of-date, but it might work okay for a satellite base or something like that. Anyway, I'm giving it to you."

Virgil stared at smiling man, wishing he could make his mouth work long enough to express his thanks. But the glimmer from his eyes told the old man all he couldn't bring his mouth to say.

Ebon leaned casually in the chair, his weight distributing the reclining form of the seat to two legs as his propped his feet against the edge of the table before him. Stretching out the length of his body in a somewhat relaxed posture, the shadowy villain observed the unrolled paper laying at his feet, mild satisfaction crossing his face as he glared at it.

"You sure this is it Jersey?" Ebon questioned the red-skinned Bang Baby.

"That's it Ebon," the woman remarked, admiring her own work with a look of relative disinterest. "All the info extracted from Dr. Todd's head concerning the Bang Baby Formula."

"Heh...so with this, we can't make a second Big Bang? Er...no wait, third, right?" Shiv asked, his head resting on Jersey's shoulder as he leaned over the shorter Bang Baby to stare at the document she'd written.

Jersey tried to both suppress the shiver of disgust at having the twisted blade master so close to her as well as keep from punching him away from her. On the second, she failed to contain her impulse as Shiv was sent flying across the war room of the new hideout. "Idiot," she mumbled beneath her breath as she allowed the shiver to move down her body. "All we have is the formula to make it...I'm not a chemist, and likely no one else here is, so unless we have someone to make this stuff for us, it's just scribbles on the paper."

"Why not snatch Dr. Todd?" Puff asked, looking only slightly more interested in the formula than Jersey. "If he made this stuff the first time, it'd be smart to use the man who knows it better than anyone, right?"

"Unfortunately," Jersey began, "an unpleasant side effect of extracting information from a person's mind leaves that person with absolute cancellation of that memory. Even if he were to look at this formula, he could no more make it than either of us."

"Heh...that would explain why I can't find my keys," Shiv chuckled as the rest of the villains stared at him, some in disbelief while others looked ready to rip his jaw off just to keep him quiet.

"Shut the hell up Shiv, you damn moron!" Hotstreak snarled, his hands bursting in flame.

"So, what we need then is someone smart enough to make this stuff for us," Ebon responded, ignoring the scuffle that had become Hotstreak and Shiv. "Tech might've worked...but last I checked, the Night Breed all lost their powers. The only one I can think of is Gear..."

"Unless we go into Alva Industries and swipe more gas to reactivate this Tech guy," Puff said, moving her body to avoid the arms of Hotstreak as he continued to pummel the cackling maniac. "Snagging Gear would bring Static and his whole crew right to our door. I'm sure they've all got tracking devices to locate each other when someone goes missing. I think we should keep this on the down low."

"What, scared of the little light bulb and his friends?" Jersey mocked, yet before Puff could respond Ebon interrupted.

"Nah, she's right Jersey. We may out number and out power them, but his crew...no, it's better we do this without interruptions." Ebon said, his eyes closing slightly as if contemplating the plan. "Puff, you, Hotstreak, Slipstream and Onyx check out the security warehouses on the west side. If Alva's hiding any more of that gas, he'll be keeping it under lock and key and that's more than likely where it'll be found."

The bright, glaring afternoon sun glittered over Pennington Park, adding precedence to the notion that the rally that had gathered within its lush boundaries was one of principle importance. Everyone, from protesters to the casual observer could not deny that the silky voice of Edwin Alva Sr. was nothing less than hypnotic, the words themselves were scarcely important.

"As you know, our city has fallen victim to the same threat of danger as Gotham, Metropolis, New York...any city for that matter where the powerful "Meta humans" battle each other like a common street gang." Alva paused, allowing the cheers and cries of encouragement to filter from the mob of onlookers.

"We can not...will not allow that. Our city is just that...our city. It belongs to us, not the Meta humans, not the Bang Babies, but the good and honest people of Dakota. That is why the Coalition of City Reform, headed by your community and business leaders and overseen by the mayor is determined to bring this great city back to its roots..."

Maureen O'Conner had heard enough of the rambling of the formidable business man, yet as she turned to leave the assembled crowd, her eyes caught a glimpse of one of the two men standing just behind Mr. Alva, causing her to take a second look.

Residual memory of the night that had bore itself into her mind's eye came back in a wave of fear and hurt as she stared at the well built man wearing the finely tailored suit. She remembered his heavy hand against her throat, the blow of his knuckles that took the wind from her body, even the canister pressed to her mouth that brought her nightmare back to life. He stood there, a stone pillar of disinterest hidden from the crowd, yet visible in her rage and anger.

Slowly, Maureen caught her breath as heavy gulps of air entered and exited her body, the breath she now expelled coming in small clouds of frozen fury. Eyes narrowing as she stared at the man to Alva's left, Maureen slowly made her way through the crowd, paying no attention to those who backed away from the sudden chill they experienced despite the heat of the summer day.

Gear paced the length of the gas station's crowded interior, his fingers alternately massaging his temples as he listened to Static's declaration. Once the electric hero had determined that he would continue fighting crime despite the threat of retaliation by law enforcement officials, most of his allies accepted without hesitation and left to wherever they called home.

Gear however, seemed less than thrilled with the proposition and began his nervous pacing, much to the chagrin of his best friend. "Explain your logic on this again V? Because I'm really not catching it." Gear said again, twining his fingers nervously together in a failed attempt to keep his hands steady. "You're talking about war against the city V! You realize the ramifications on that?"

Static sighed slightly, shaking his head as he tried once again to convince his partner. He knew, ultimately, Gear would agree to his decisions, but he wished the genius would stop thinking with his head so much and just accept the situation. "Bro, you think I haven't thought this through? But you know darn well, Ebon and his happy little group of miscreants won't abide by the laws the city laid down. We're the only ones that can stop him Rich..."

"Yeah, well have you thought about giving the SCU a chance at the Breed?" Gear replied, trying to shake some sense into his partner. "Remember, they help Superman...dude, big blue himself."

"Yeah, and if they really did such a bang up job, why is Supes still fighting the good fight? Because the criminals won't back down bro...and neither can we."

Gear took a moment to nervously run his fingers through his hair as he opened his mouth to protest a bit more. Before he could get the words out however, the alarm on Backpack sliced through the blaring silence. "Dude, this is weird," the tech genius said, scanning the report coming in on his visual visor. "There seems to be some kind of geological event in Pennington Park."

"What, Hotstreak?"

"No, quite the opposite actually. Looks like the whole park is frozen over."

Static's eyes opened wide in memory of the similar case nearly a year ago, wondering how it was possible she could have returned. Sighing deeply while shaking his worried head, Static looked to his partner. "We need to get to the park, now!"

Permafrost had moved across the lawn in relative ease, regardless of the fact that her power had frozen the moisture within the blades of grass, casting each as nothing less than miniature, crystallized stalagmites. Already, several people lay on the ground, nursing various small puncture wounds from the frozen blades, however Permafrost refused to take her attention off the large man who had become her target.

She moved with measured, calculated steps as each motion brought her closer to her target. She would have revenge for what he did to her, made her the monster that haunted her restless dreams. Firing a blast of energy at the man, the force of impact sent him careening from the platform and colliding with a nearby tree, the energy working around his body, pinning him to the large oak tree as a blanket of ice enveloped him.

Strong as he was, the man was unable to move from his position, frozen in place by the power of the teenager. Yet she failed to notice the arrival of several SCU vehicles, the officers working to evacuate the citizens before moving forward. It was then, unaware of their arrival, that she was hit with the brunt force of the microwave energy cannon held in the hands of the officer quickly approaching.

Staggered by the attack, Permafrost fired a blind shot in the direction of her attacker, hitting another SCU officer. Panting heavily at the force of the attack, Maureen swayed drunkenly as she leaned against a nearby bench, desperately seeking to maintain her balance.

A second beam however, fired in her direction was swiftly blocked by the electrical barrier cast around her at the last moment. Everyone's attention was suddenly drawn to Static and Gear who hovered above the shaken Permafrost.

"Put your guns down," Static ordered, hoping the Special Crimes Unit would accommodate the new arrivals. His request however was quickly answered by the SCU operative firing the net launcher in his direction.

By reflex, Static summoned his power and, catching the net in mid-air, sent it back at the offensive officer, entangling him in his own weapon. Gear, likewise seeing the situation quickly deteriorate, sent several of his new self-guiding spider-tentacles into the air, each flying to a various officer, ensnaring them in the powerful metallic tendrils.

While Gear continued to occupy the SCU, Static quickly lowered himself and lifted the near unconscious Permafrost in his arms. "What happened Maureen? You should have been normal after the antidote." Static whispered while he raised himself into the air, calling to Gear to follow him as he flew towards the direction of the headquarters.

Gear did as instructed, his eyes catching the nearby news truck, the video camera pointing towards him and Static. A desperate, sinking feeling swelled within the pit of his stomach as he looked pointedly at his partner. "Dude," Gear responded, his words strained under the realization of their actions. "We've just gone rogue."

Puff floated noiselessly into the load bay of the Alva Industries Manufacturing and Industrial Distribution Center, followed closely by Hotstreak, Slipstream and Onyx, the former being as quiet as his rocky form would allow. Everyone, from political officials to the common street urchin knew this facility was nothing more than a front used to house the many military weapons Alva Industries supplied publicly to the U.S. Military. Though rumors also existed that Alva supplied other nations with these weapons as well, that, thus far was nothing more than speculated hearsay.

Thus far the operation had worked smoothly, Puff having used her power to shut down any surveillance or motion detecting equipment while Slipstream moved the other members on a cushion of air, silently transporting them to their destination. Now within the warehouse, it felt like Christmas for the four criminals, each sizing the various weapons, not guns par say, but other, more applicable tools for those who had powers.

"Guys, knock it," Puff hissed, her eyes scanning the warehouse as she uneasily bobbed between boxes on the current of air that supported her. "Ebon said we only get the gas, that's it. Leave the rest the of the stuff."

"What you so afraid of Puff, this stuff is gold," Hotstreak smirked, lifting a particularly heavy yet equally complicated device. "You know what this stuff is worth on the streets?"

"Heh, you don't even know what that stuff does," A new voice echoed throughout the cavernous facility, the silhouette shadowed by the vague light filtering in through the window.

Hotstreak however, recognized the voice immediately, his eyes narrowing to mere slits. "You!" He snarled, his hands bursting into flame as he stared down the intruder.

"And me," a second voice from the opposite wall said, the owner of the voice standing atop a row of crates. "Not to mention a few other friends of ours."

"That's right," a third voice commented, the shadowy figure mocking the four villains encircled by their trap. "When we found out there were mice in the warehouse, we came to stop 'em out!"

"Who you calling mouse you runty little hoser!" Slipstream said, a mild gust of wind whipping about the inside of the warehouse.

Puff stared in disbelief as her eyes settled on the four new arrivals that had effectively flanked herself and her teammates. Through the corner of her eye she saw Onyx shift his body. Whether in nervousness or anxiousness to start the fight, she wasn't sure, but could sympathize with the action.

"What do we do now Puff?" Onyx asked, his deep, gravely voice echoing in the nearly vacant warehouse.

"What else," the acidic Bang Baby smirked. "We throw down and teach these punks who they're dealing with!"

Edwin Alva leaned back mildly in his chair, a smug and self-satisfied grin across his wrinkled face. Despite the apparent shivering form of his employee Jacobs, the afternoon events could not have gone better. Not only had Permafrost attacked the assembly on live television, she did it while implementing Static Shock and Gear in the process.

"Are you feeling better Jacobs?" Alva asked, not truly caring about the well-being of his employee but at least expressing the courtesy to pretend he did. It amazed Alva how well the plan had worked, the tracking device planted on the frozen ice queen indicating her location. Of course, it took her longer to recognize Jacobs than he thought it would, once he knew she was among the crowd present, but the results were better than expected.

Yet even with the cold gear equipped beneath his suit, Permafrost's power still manage to give the large man a nasty cast of frostbite. Thus his current condition, huddled against the blankets, his body shaking slightly despite the warmth of the room.

Yet all imagined concerns for his employee were forced from his mind as York entered the room from the side entryway. In three graceful strides, the equally large man stood before his employer and handed him the file held in his meaty hand.

"Our team dispatched has confronted the intruders at the warehouse sir," York said, his eyes glancing at the photos present within docket. "According to thermographic scans of the warehouse, the intruders numbered four."

"Too bad," Alva said heavily as he set the pictures back into the folder. "I would have been interested to see how my team faired against Ebon's full force, but for a trial run, we should get good results."

Alva took a moment to shift his eyes back to the suffering bodyguard before turning back to York. "Of course, I wasn't expecting Static to show up today, nor was I expecting him to take Permafrost with him. York," Alva addressed the strong man before him, a greedy smile painting his aged features. "Continue to monitor the status of the battle in the warehouse. Also, activate Contingency Omni. I think we should be fully prepared for what's to come."

-To be continued

**A/N**: Heh heh...another chapter done, another several mysteries unveiled. Now, I've finally made mention of Alva's team...though I'm sure you can pretty much guess who's on board for it. In fact, most everyone has already picked out who was planned to be involved. So far, only one character hasn't been mentioned in reviews that will be in the team. Anyway, hope you guys liked the story...and as you can tell, it's all going to start falling apart now. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone.


	12. The Calm

Static Force

Chapter 11: The Calm

News of the battle between Static, Gear and the Special Crimes Unit had now become little more than the hot topic of discussion of the news media and political officials around town. Static's actions had drawn a great deal of criticism and controversy that did little to dissuade the notion that the Meta-Human community was nothing less than lawless thugs. In truth, many of the most outspoken opponents against the anti-Meta-Human legislation had now quite vocally supported the amendment, agreeing the Bang Baby crisis had indeed gone beyond the control of law enforcement.

Since the footage of the battle aired on the afternoon and evening news, Static's team had unintentionally removed themselves from public service. With no feasible options in dealing with the crisis at hand regarding the aggressive policy against Meta-Humans, staying out of the spotlight seemed the best alternative, lest they end up captured or worse.

For that reason alone, Static felt thankful that he had an excuse to disband the team, at least temporally. Everyone had been working so hard over the past couple of months, that burnout was affecting their judgment and morale. With an excuse to take a breather and perhaps decompress, he had no worries that his friends would come to assist him on a moments notice, but now, he'd let the SCU handle Ebon and company for a while.

That was how he had found himself in the Power Pad, the secret base of former hero great Soul Power. The machinery itself was outdated and the car was something more along the lines of a land yacht than a road worthy means of transportation, but he could see the potential it could serve him in the future, once he found the excuse to bring Ritchie down here to revamp the interior. For now, it served as an island amongst a sea of turbulence that he could calm his mind and relax. That was the very reason he brought Permafrost here.

A scared and uncertain young girl, Maureen O'Connor trusted no one, and for good reason. Abandoned by her stepfather after her mother's death, she was forced to fend for herself, something that would have broken most six-year old children. Maureen however, survived despite the odds...and did it all herself as well, without the aid of any possible Good Samaritan. Yet, it caused within her a distance, an emotional void that sheltered her from the world, leaving her with the notion of self-preservation that the only person for her to trust was herself.

"Maureen please," Virgil said again, the same words he'd spoken nearly every minute of the past two hours. "Tell me what happened to you, who did this?"

Like always however, the cringing young teen would merely press herself further into the corner she had designated as her own, trying to vanish from the view of the young man before her.

"I can help you Maureen, but I need you to trust me."

"No, you'll only hurt me. Everyone hurts me." The girl said, the first words spoken since Virgil had brought her here. If nothing else, Virgil felt this would make an applicable home for her, as Mr. Grant had seen fit to equip the Power Pad with it's own small, hidden apartment, most likely for resting up when needed. Though, in order for her to stay here, she would have to trust him, otherwise, she'd more than likely bolt the moment he left, and that would endanger her as well as anyone who crossed her path.

"No one is going to hurt you Maureen. I need you to believe that," he said, taking a tentative step closer.

"You lie..." But before she could object any further, he was on his knees in front of her, his hands firmly holding her shoulders despite the struggle she put up.

"I'm not lying. Maureen, let me help you...please." Virgil pulled the shaking girl close to him, embracing her in the hopes that she would understand his caring desire to give her hope. For her own part, Maureen stopped struggling yet continued to shake despite the quiet reassurances the electrically powered teen whispered, as a single, frosty tear traced its way down her cheek.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ebon glided across the surface of the new headquarters, glaring in turn at each of his subordinates, some of which had the decency to look ashamed, though most weren't sure what their inky leader's conundrum was. Those who had not participated in the warehouse raid were privy to only a few scarce details regarding the failure of the operation, Puff and company unwilling to share more than the minimum details.

"You can stop acting like we're a bunch of failures Ebon, it wasn't a total loss." Puff said, her temperament finally getting the better of her as she grew increasingly tired of the dark villains unspoken accusations.

"Did you manage to get the gas Puff?"

"No, but..."

"Then I'd call that a pretty big freaking failure."

"Back off darkman," Hotstreak intervened, his own temper getting the better of him. "I didn't see you at the warehouse getting your carcass handed to you."

Shiv and Jersey shuffled their feet nervously, wondering what had happened at the warehouse that resulted in the defeat of Puff, Hotstreak, Onyx and Slipstream. "Can we stop the arguments for a moment, we got bigger problems." Puff said, breaking off the building confrontation. "We managed to hold 'em off didn't we?"

"From what you've told me Puff, that was about all you could do." Ebon said, taking a deep breath as he studied the group in front of him. "And damn right we got bigger problems...without that gas, we won't be able to make more of it."

"You know...since I've known you Ebon, all you ever talk about is making a bigger Big Bang," Shiv said, his usual cackle absent from his voice. "Why do you want more Bang Babies anyway?"

"With more of the gas, I'm going to turn our beloved city leaders into Meta-humans. Let's see how they like being freaks. See how they like it when the whole city turns against them." Ebon paused, his harsh words coming in a mere whisper in the importance of the following statement. "They ain't above fear."

"What about that guy you mentioned earlier then...Gear?" Jersey asked. "If we can't get any more of the gas to reactivate that Tech guy you were talking about, then he may be the next best thing."

"Yeah...but Static and his cronies have gone underground since a lot of this mess started." Hotstreak began, his skin smoldering in response to his trademark anger. "Even if we could nab him, we can't find him."

Ebon looked at the pyromaniac with something akin to triumph as he nodded his head. "Then we'll need something...a act of reckless abandon so big it brings Static and crew out of the woodwork. We'll grab Gear then."

"What about Alva?" Puff added, bobbing up and down on the currents of air as she addressed the shadow master.

"If Alva wants in on our action, if he interferes with us again...then its war."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Talon moved about nervously in the office of Mr. Hawkins, trying to avert the fatherly gaze the elderly man had fixed upon her, as if she were a child in need of a stern lecture. Of course, she was both, a child and in need of said lecture, but that did not ease the growing fear of judgment she felt coming from the man.

She had been at the community center now for nearly a month, living in the as of yet unoccupied dorms. Yet in that time she had recognized Mr. Hawkins as both a kind and stern figure who, despite her hideous appearance, treated her like any other person. She revered that about him. That did not, however, stop the nervousness she felt when approaching a potentially sensitive subject, as she had prepared to discuss with the older man now.

She had seen the tension over the past week build within the director, and knowing the source of that unease as well. She also felt a great sense of duty to help him through it as well, as he put forth every effort to help her; however addressing it with him was what was proving so difficult. She moved nervously again, feeling the kindly eyes following her.

"Teresa?" Mr. Hawkins finally began, as if his own prompting would erase all of her apprehensions that built within the young woman. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Stopping her sporadic, often jerky pacing, Talon closed her eyes and moved to his desk, picking up the family picture that sat facing the head of the Civic Center, a constant reminder of why he struggled so hard with so many troubled teens. Examining the photo before nodding her head once in confirmation, Talon turned her eyes towards the gentle figure sitting opposite her. "I...just wanted to know how you're doing."

Brow wrinkling with confusion, Mr. Hawkins felt more of the story was left unsaid; else the feathered Bang Baby would not be so nervous. "I'm fine Teresa, but I have the feeling your not. Mind telling me what's really on your mind?"

Talon shifted her weight nervously once more before taking the seat across from Mr. Hawkins. "You know, he really is a great guy."

Robert stared at the mutated teen a moment before following her gaze to the photograph, realizing she was addressing the young man pictured smiling at the camera that forever immortalized the scene. "You mean Virgil? Yes, he's quite a remarkable young man. But I wasn't aware you knew him. I'd have thought you'd have gone to Eastside school district."

Another heavy sigh before she continued. This was harder than she thought, and that realization didn't strengthen her resolve any. "Well, I do know him...but not as Virgil."

A single eyebrow raised in Talon's direction, a mixture of confusion and fear echoing from the older man's rigid posture. "You know?"

Shrugging her shoulders slightly, Talon returned to picking up the portrait. "It wasn't hard to figure out. I noticed it first time I was in your office. The girl, your daughter...Sharon...was what tipped it off." Another pause, and another bated breath as she felt she was confessing to something terrible. "When we rescued her from the foundry, she called Static 'Baby brother'. Then, when I saw her in the photograph with you and him...I figured it out. Besides, he has your eyes."

Stealing a glance at the older man, she tried to read some degree of accusation from his eyes, and when she received none, she continued. "I didn't say anything at first, because...well, people have always tried to use me. I thought, well I guess I didn't trust any of you enough so I figured I'd use it as leverage if I ever needed that knowledge."

"So why tell me now then?" Robert asked, a slight, knowing smile parting his kindly features, probing for information from the young woman in a gentle effort to prompt her further.

"Well...I guess part of it, well a large part of it anyway was how you helped mama. You gave her a job here; let her work in a place where she is treated with respect, as an actual person. You even made me tell her about me. She still gets a bit nervous looking at me, but she always hugs me...and I forgot how much I missed that."

Brushing away the tear that slid down her cheek, Talon continued. "People don't often like to touch me when I look like this...they're afraid I'll hurt them I guess, or catch some disease. I forgot how much I missed it.

"But that's not all either. It's because you don't treat me like a monster either...and you don't judge me for all the things I've done. So I wanted you to know that I know about Static, and that I'll never betray that trust you've given me. I only wish I met you a few years ago. Then maybe I wouldn't have turned up in the mess I was in."

Smiling kindly at the young woman, Robert reached across the desk and took her hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "It's not just knowing about a problem that's enough, a person has to want to fix it before they move can beyond it. For what it's worth Teresa, I think you're going to be fine."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gear sat at the cluttered desk located in the deserted gas station, his fingers flying over the keyboard at near invisible speed as he continued to hack into the financial records of many of the prominent business leaders of Dakota. For the most part, the activity was nothing more than an exercise in futility, but he had to play his hunch to the end.

Currently he was following a surprisingly suspicious series of transactions of a large amount of money that seemed to be laundered through various banks and organizations, each a known or suspected front for Alva Industries. But it wasn't the source of the money he tracked that he sought, he knew that without verifying the information, it was the final destination...and that was proving most difficult, for when he finally found what be believed to be the end point, a new transaction was discovered.

It bewildered even his super-powered brain at the nearly invisible transfers that, to the common eye, would appear as nothing more than inter-business transactions. However, with each end transaction that would be documented, small amounts of money would be filtered from the exchange, only to be replaced in larger quantities by the next front company. It was the alternating cycle of the filtering and replacement of funds that left Gear pondering the nature of what he was exploring. This was extremely clever, as it was the dummy corporations that had extracted the finances before transferring the funds to one of Alva's legitimate companies to filter back in the missing money. The process was virtually untraceable by Anti-Trust Investigators, as it would appear the finances themselves were nothing more than a slush fund to filter into various branches of Alva Industries.

However, the money filtered from the slush fund was the real mystery, as it seemed to have disappeared from the bank records, the funds themselves small enough that it would not draw suspicion, meaning Alva either embezzled from his own companies, or did something with the funds he'd rather have kept a secret. Though the amount of money was insignificant enough that even Gear was tempted to initially overlook it, it was the frequency that caused him to begin examining it with more intent.

At this point, Gear abandoned the rabbit hunt for the missing funds and decided for fun to hack into Alva's mainframe computer network. Though it wasn't an easy task to be sure, as Alva was the proud owner of a Cray computer, the very same network the Batman himself trusted. After a few brief moments, Gear found his way in with minimal resistance, realizing with some amusement and an equal amount of admiration for the computer network that a genuine hacker without his intelligence would never have broken the encryption.

Gear worked his way around system; bouncing his search in various locations through the network in the effort to avoid detection when he found the file he believed would solve the mystery of the absent finances he investigated. The large file itself required his hacking services once again, and though the folder was deftly massive, he read the contents with relative speed, all the while downloading the report into Backpack's extended memory for backup purposes.

Gear's expression changed drastically as he scanned the report, making a mental note to review it in more detail with Backpack's copy. The dossier listed and examined a great deal of information and added light to the conspiracy he felt was the root of all the problems in Dakota, but not even his most lurid fantasies of cloak and dagger activities would touch the details outlined in the report.

Finishing his own read through, Gear quickly exited the program and backed out of Alva's network. He had no doubt the Cray would recognize the unsolicited download he performed, but he couldn't worry about that now. Everything it seemed had gone from bad to worse, and as he raised a shaky hand to run it nervously through his hair, Gear stared wide-eyed at the realization as his super-quickened mind caught up with the information his brain processed, and the ramifications he now understood.

"Oh dear God."

_-To be continued_

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Yes...an evil cliffhanger. Perhaps the worst I've done yet. Hee hee hee. I also must apologize for potential formatting errors. For some reason, doesn't like us separating sections...I can't figure out what best way to use so I'm trying something else, yet again. If this doesn't work, please drop me a line to let me know how best to separate sections so as not to have them all run together. If this works, don't worry about it. ï Again, reviews are always welcomed and as I'm sure you figured by the ending, and though a lot of you begged me to make things better for our heroes, easy leads to boring stories. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...Evil. Thanks for your reviews and support everyone. You guys are great.


	13. Justifying the Ends

Static Force 

Chapter 12: _Justifying the Means_

The pink and purple garbed martial artist perched herself above the roof of Guido's Deli, tailing the two men running full sprint through the maze of inner-city alleys as they made their way from their heist at Cornerstone Tobacco and Liquor. She had silently shadowed the men since she stumbled on their robbery but resisted any interaction, trusting her hunch that these men were nothing more than grunts.

Crime in this district had escalated since the Bang Baby reemergence, the police as it were being more preoccupied with other matters, and Shebang trusted her intuition that there were more than these two men involved. Her hunch paid off as she watched the larger of the two masked robbers hand a satchel off to a random pedestrian who, had Shebang not paid close attention to, would have overlooked simply by the relative unassuming appearance the man had. But taking the bag of money, he turned and bolted in the opposite direction, never looking back as the two men continued their journey.

Shebang was torn for only a moment as to which way to follow, but continued shadowing the two robbers. She knew immediately of her mistake when she watched them enter _The_ _Spanked Monkey_, a known refuge of scum and criminals that caused even the most gung-ho officers to keep their distance. The other man was obviously the runner, but he was too far away for her to track now. Her only real choice was to enter the bar and hope she could force the robbers to spill their guts.

That of course, would not be an easy task. As she entered through the front door, fixing her trademark crooked grin to her face, she sized up the half-dozen lowlifes sitting drunkenly around the establishment. Her eyes quickly landing on two men seated at the corner table, she immediately made her way in the direction before a large, barrel-chested man stepped in her path.

"Little early for Halloween ain't it sweetheart?" The walking mountain of muscle sneered, cocking his head from side to side in a Neanderthalic attempt of intimidation. Shebang merely turned her eyes toward the towering thug, and smiling sweetly at the threatening man, drove her elbow into his rock-like stomach. Yet even with all of his strength, the blow caused the man-muscle to double over, allowing the brightly costumed teen to respond with the generous combination of her forearm and elbow slamming into his thick jaw.

Shebang's heightened strength caused the man's neck to snap to a quick forty-five degree angle, the momentum causing his body to spin likewise as his twisted limbs caused him to tumble unceremoniously to the ground in an unconscious heap. The entire exchange took no more than three seconds, and with the largest of the assembled patrons lying unmoving on the floor, no others seemed intent on interfering with the business of the underestimated young woman.

"Let's talk boys," she said, grabbing each by the collar of their shirts and hoisting them to their feet. "I only want to know two things, who do you work for and where was that runner taking the money?"

"I ain't telling you nothin' princess!" The larger man said, finding comfort in unconsciousness as his head was slammed into the unforgiving brick wall.

"Fortunately, I'm not asking for nothing...who do you work for?" Shebang asked, turning her attention back to the smaller man before the chiming sound of her communicator cut through the silence of the bar.

"Shebang, you there?" The voice squawked.

Disgustedly grabbing the device from her belt, Shebang responded to the annoying summons. "I'm a bit busy Gear..."

"We need you at headquarters ASAP. The situation has changed. Get over here as soon as you can."

Shaking her head sorrowfully as she released the squirming robber in her grip, Shebang smiled sweetly at the shaken villain. "I'll be back to talk about that heist later. Don't try running, and don't go too far."

Turning to bolt from the bar, Shebang darted into the bright afternoon sun. She didn't like releasing the bandit, but her only solace in the fact was that she slipped one of Gear's tracking devices into his pocket. He'd be easy enough to catch up to once she could get back to dealing with the robbery, but for now, she understood the urgency in Gear's voice, and the feeling that the hammer was about to fall made it all the more a priority to follow through with her teammate. With that thought, she sped her pace and made her way to the gas station.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sergeant Michael Billows had experienced some bad days in his line of work, having been assigned to the task force that stopped the Marcelli Crime Cartel and its conglomerates during the time period adequately dubbed by the New Orleans media as the Sin Wars. The countless battles between the gangsters and law enforcement professionals resulted in the permanent removal of field duty for more than a dozen seasoned cops, either from physical or psychological complications.

That was partly why Sgt. Billows relocated his family to Dakota, in the hopes of ensuring he would not become another statistic among officers and leave his children without a father. Of course, New Orleans didn't have the Meta-Human population problems Dakota had, a realization he discovered in full living color as he sat slack-mouthed in his cruiser, staring at the enormous iron robot that crushed many of the civilian vehicles parked against the curb as it marched unabated down Stanley Avenue.

'_Perhaps'_, he thought to himself, '_New Orleans wasn't so bad.'_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static landed before the gas station entrance and deftly folded his discus, returning it to the magnetic clip inside his coat as he entered the hideout and faced his friends, the four of them taking their usual positions as they awaited his arrival. Despite the closeness exhibited by everyone present, Static noticed without fail that Talon still hovered at the edge of the circle, as if not certain she belonged among the heroes.

Hiding his own deep-rooted concerns, Static turned to his partner and waited for him to begin. "So, what's up Gear? You find something interesting enough to call us all here?"

Shuffling his feet nervously as if contemplating how best to proceed, the brilliant young man offered a half-hearted smile. "Well, I've got good news, bad news and turn the world on its ear news. Which do you want first?"

Static scanned his friends, their alert and business-like postures nearly eliciting a slight chuckle from the electric youth at their apparent seriousness. Yet any humor he may have found died immediately as he himself shared their apprehensions. "Give us the bad news first."

"Well," Gear began, a deep-rooted sigh passing his lips, "I started investigating a hunch I had, feeling that there was more involved than just the sudden emergence of the SCU. Bottom line is, we've been used."

At watching the sudden and confused stares he got from his colleagues, Gear continued. "See, I started investigating the reemergence of numerous Bang Babies that should have lost their powers in the power outage incident. What I found, for example in the case of Chainlink, was that he was moved from Dakota State Federal Penitentiary to another prison outside the demutation quarantine zone. Basically, when everyone began losing his or her powers, he wasn't affected.

"I thought this was a bit strange, so I did a bit more digging and found that he wasn't the only case. I've got a list of probably 15 Bang Babies; all transferred from local penal installations to other "higher security" facilities and all of which still have their powers. Now, obviously, I started wondering how all these transfers were done, both secretly and within one month prior to the antidote being dispersed. So I did a little more digging."

At this point, Gear lifted his visor and took a hearty drink of soda to quench is thirst before continuing. "Turns out, each warden of whatever prison the Bang Babies were housed at received unsolicited deposits into their bank accounts that exceeded their annual salary. So, as the old line goes, 'Follow the money.' So I started tracking the source of the finances exchanged between the prison officials and the as of yet unknown benefactor. After about two hours of hacking into various dummy corporations, I found the source. I tell you, Alva really likes covering his tracks."

"Alva?" RubberBand Man asked, his arms unfolding as he stared purposefully at the lecturer. "You mean Edwin Alva?"

"None other," Gear continued. "Turns out, ol' Mr. Alva has been doing some illegal book cooking with his company. I found out, judging by his inter-business transactions, that he has implemented quite a brilliant program that began filtering money from an apparent slush fund made to look as if its only purpose is to equalize his company's finances. Every hour, the fund is transferred to another branch of Alva Industries, where on alternating hours, $1,000 was withdrawn by one of several of his dummy corporations, only to be replaced by a legitimate company."

"I don't get it?" Shebang spoke up. "Why withdraw money if you're only going to replace it?"

"Because any government agency looking at a multi-billion dollar company for fraud is not going to be concerned by pocket-change transactions. They'd completely overlook it."

"It's a dismal commentary on our times that $1,000 transactions can be considered pocket change." Talon retorted from her corner.

"Yeah well...I'd have to agree with you." Gear smiled, pushing forward with the explanation. "Anyway, those $1,000 withdraws happen 12 times during the day, every day...and the money seems to be filtered to some unlisted account, probably in Brazil or some offshore Caribbean bank..." Gear said, his voice tapering off as his super-quickened mind began searching for the answer.

"Stay on topic Gear," Static broke in, knowing all too well the faraway look his partner began exhibiting.

"Oh, right," the genus said, a crooked, abashed smile donning his features. "Anyway, I figured this program has been working for at least two years...I didn't feel like trying to track it at the source, but so far, it looks like Alva has filtered, at the very, _VERY_ least, $8,760,000 from his slush fund. The genus behind this is that the Anti-Trust Investigators would have noticed that much money taken from the account, unless it was done over the length of time Alva did it."

"So, that $8 million whatever, that's what Alva is using to transfer prisoners and stuff?" Shebang asked. She wasn't fond of figures and facts, her personality and actions always proved to her that action above words were what determined victory.

"Well, partly. The fact alone that Alva knew of the serum and began transferring prisoners before it was activated suggests he funded Dr. Todd's efforts. But now were getting into the 'Turn the world on its ear' news." Another pause followed by another healthy gulp of the carbonated beverage before slamming the large stack of printed-paper onto the desk before him. "I downloaded this from Alva's computer system. It took me two reams of paper and an ink cartridge to print it all, so I'll give you the Reader's Digest condensed version.

"Apparently Alva predicted everything up till now. He knew how we'd react to Ebon's new Meta-Breed and took steps against us. While we kept mixing it up with the Breed, Alva would go behind our backs and finance the rebuilding of all the destroyed property, effectively turning himself into the city's greatest philanthropist and Dakota's Favorite Son. But that's only the tip of the iceberg.

"The financing of his rebuilding projects could be done with visible funds as it's a charitable contribution. Right now, the biggest political issue is the anti-Meta-Human legislation. That document proves that Alva used his filtered money not only to financially influenced the mayor and city council to pass the restrictive policy against the Bang Babies, but is also financing the political campaign of Felton Spence, who's currently running for governor against Governor Marshal.

"Basically, this plan outlines in detail that he expects public opinion to sway dramatically against the anti-Meta-Human legislation. Governor Marshal is presently backing the mayor on her stance against the Bang Babies, but the polls have him nearly six points behind Spence for the governor's race. If Spence gets elected, and public opinion sways violently against the mayor and her hard line stance, then there will be an emergency vote positioned for the purpose of removing the mayor from office on the grounds of no confidence. When that happens, Spence will put Alva in as acting mayor. But Alva just won't run the city; he'll run the state. Spence works for Alva Industries, but his identity is so secured that he's not even listed as on employee payroll, meaning he's financed under-the-table."

"Wait a minute, so how did you find out this guy Spence works for Alva if its not publicly known?"

"Never mind that," RubberBand Man said, interrupting Shebang's question, much to the young woman's dissatisfaction. "How does Alva intend to sway public opinion regarding the Bang Babies?"

Gear closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "It all depends on us. Alva plans to initiate a full-scale war between the Meta-Breed and the police. For it to work though, we need to be quiet and not interfere. That way, the public view on us will change and they'll blame the mayor that her policy drove us into hiding. With that, her public opinion will plummet and she'll be removed from office, to be replaced by Alva."

"Well that's totally stupid!" Shebang said, her anger again rising. "Does he really think we'll sit quietly and let the Meta-Breed destroy the city just so the mayor can be removed?"

"No, he doesn't," the tech genus said, his hands fidgeting nervously as he fought to continue voicing his findings. "Alva plans to keep us quiet. He has us all targeted, and has assembled the means for the sole purpose of stopping us and keeping us isolated until his plan is completed. Basically, we're all marked."

The silence that followed the statement was palpable as the unsettling, eerie chill of realization settled over the heroes. Finally, after what seemed an hour of brooding silence, Static found his voice. "So Gear, what was the good news?"

"That I don't have anymore bad news."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ebon growled menacingly as he and his team skulked about the alleyway across the street from the Central South Police Station. The station was headquarters for the Special Crimes Unit and hitting it would bring Static and company out of hiding. But more importantly, it would bring Gear to them. The genus inventor was essential if Ebon was going to make more of the Bang Baby gas.

"Alright, you guys know what to do?" Ebon asked, his eyes surveying his over-eager team.

"Shut up blackie," Hotstreak snarled. "All we gotta do is bust the place up, right?"

"Not entirely," Ebon said, a silky smile against his ebony skin. "We're going to show the precious SCU what it means to tackle our turf. This is our city, and they don't belong here. Now, lets make a mess."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edwin Alva sat casually in his office, listening to the report given to him by the shadowy figure before him. "So, they figured it out have they?"

"Yes sir," the shadow answered, making no move to explain further.

"Well, it can't be helped. I knew they were intelligent; it would be no challenge if they weren't. But still, I suppose I'll need to reevaluate my plan with this latest information. I must thank you for your continued support. Not only have you kept tabs on the Breed for me, but now Static's team as well. I must thank you."

The shadow shrugged its shoulders, as if the matter meant nothing. The shrieking of the portable communicator however, interrupted whatever the shadowy figures might have said.

"Talon, come in..."

Eyes slightly wide, the feathery young woman picked up the communicator from her belt. "What is it Static?"

"We need you at the Central South Police Station, Ebon and the Breed are trashing the SCU headquarters. Get here as soon as you can."

Steeling a glance at the elderly businessman, Talon smiled. "On my way."

"Well," Alva said smugly as he listened quietly to the exchange. "It seems the Breed has made its move faster than expected as well. I suppose it's only proper to let you go now. After all, you wouldn't want to keep the heroes waiting would you?"

"Right, I'm off then." With that, the winged Bang Baby stepped onto the ledge of the open window and flew into the open sky.

Kindred spirits were often something of a myth to the businessman, yet the winged young woman in his employ was just as devious, just as cunning as he was, and perhaps made a believer of him. If only his son could develop her spirit, he would consider himself truly blessed. As he watched her fly across the skyline to her destination, a smile parted his features. "Good hunting my little pawn."

-To be continued

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: What's that? Another evil cliffhanger? Well, at least now you all know what Alva is up too, but I'd like to think I haven't eliminated all the mysteries yet. Things are just going to keep moving forward. At any rate, I hope everyone likes this chapter, and as always, reviews are always appreciated. Thanks.


	14. Eve of Destruction

Static Force Chapter 13: **Eve of Destruction**

_Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction...the chain reaction of evil -- hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.   
_**--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)**

Chaos was nothing new the electric-powered hero, a concept that seemed overly out of place in his young mind. Most teenagers his age were concerned with the dire need to buy the newest CD or get their own cell phone. God forbid they suffer being shot down by the object of their affections, for who could ever survive such a tragedy. The thought of average teenage pressures would have certainly been more amusing to the young man had he not been otherwise preoccupied with dodging the hurling fireballs the raging pyromaniac continued to throw in his direction. How he longed for the days when his biggest crisis was making it to the school dance without suffering an outbreak of acne.

But this was his life, and so, when word came that Ebon and the Meta-Breed had attacked the SCU headquarters, Static summoned his team immediately. In his own haste however, he arrived before the others, a slight error in judgment as he struggled desperately to keep himself from being either killed by the Breed or captured by the SCU, neither of which was an easy task.

For what it was worth however, the Special Crimes Unit did a fairly reasonable job slowing down the destructive efforts of the Breed, and though his own presence caused many of the officers to turn their attention towards him, he was nonetheless thankful the Breed did not direct all their efforts on his unwanted demise.

The situation itself had quickly deteriorated however, for no matter how hard the SCU fought, the violent Bang Babies assaulting their base of operations ultimately outmatched them. Static fared little better, spending most of his time avoiding the attacks thrown at him which effectively kept him from mounting any offense of his own. Yet for all constructive purposes, the Breed was holding back, and that single thought was what bothered Static more than the struggle at hand.

Before he could contemplate the situation further however, the newest member of the Breed, Jersey, launched herself at the hero, an unexpected move that would have blindsided the young man had she not been intercepted by Talon. "Took you long enough," Static said, relief pouring from his words as he turned to see Gear, Shebang and RubberBand Man assemble behind him, the last two already sprinting toward the battle to engage Chainlink and Hotstreak.

"Well, if SOME people would wait, we could have organized some offensive bro." Gear smirked through his visor, the amused expression mocking his best friend. With that the brilliant teen flew into the battle, his eyes directed toward Puff.

"Yeah, yeah..." the young man on the flying discus remarked, firing a blast of electricity towards Ebon while deflecting the energy charges fired by the SCU officers. Regardless of any potential organization consolidating their numbers may have initiated, the scene itself quickly deteriorated to one of absolute madness.

****Talon spun her body in perfect precision, dodging the volley of energy Jersey continued to launch at her. The battle against the red-skinned Bang Baby was not easy however, for though Talon had the advantage of agility over her, Jersey was faster, which made each combatant's talent equal out.

Talon again launched a sonic screech that tore large chunks of brick and mortar from the police station, but succeeded in missing her target. Likewise, the arrogantly smiling woman spun her body and used her speed to come behind her winged attacker, launching a pair of energy beams from her hands that the feathered teen easily dodged.

"What's the matter honey? Getting winded already?" Jersey mocked, a self-satisfied grin painting her features as she stared at the frustrated and increasingly angry Bang Baby.

Talon flew angrily at her mocking enemy, watching as Jersey used her own wings to propel herself from her line of attack. Talon however, used her advantageous agility to shift her decent at the last moment and collide painfully with the red-skinned villain, the result causing both women to fall tumble toward the earth below.

****RubberBand Man and Shebang worked seamlessly in their efforts to subdue the jointed efforts of Hotstreak, Chainlink and Slipstream. RBM had created quite a modest funnel with his elastic body that seemed perfectly able to redirect the wind attacks of the gargantuan Slipstream.

Shebang however had a bit more trouble, dodging not only the dozen or so tentacles by Chainlink but also the fireballs the raging Hotstreak hurled in her direction. Her natural agility however gave her the perfect advantage, yet no sooner than she'd get in striking distance of either Chainlink or Hotstreak, then one of the formers metallic tendrils would bat her aside.

At some point during his battle with Slipstream however, the wind-wielding master grew tired of his attempts to battle the shape-morphing hero and flew off to join the battle against Gear. RBM couldn't worry about that now however as he moved quickly to support his teammate in her struggle against the two powerful criminals.

Extending his arms in a quickly snaking style that avoided the defensive attacks, RBM managed to batter Hotstreak aside as Shebang came running full sprint at her teammate. The coming attack had been practiced with little success, yet that did not deter the two from stopping the fight quickly.

Flipping into a handspring before launching her body at RBM, Shebang allowed her own momentum to carry her into the cushion of his chest, the force bending his pliable form in the measure of a slingshot. Using their combined talents, RBM launched Shebang at the tentacle-producing vandal at a speed appearing near invisible momentum. Despite his own thrashing weapons, Shebang managed to avoid each potential attack before driving her fists into Chainlink's scowling face, knocking the powerful man back against the crumbling wall of the police station.

They had little time to celebrate the success of their attack however, as the recovered Hotstreak launched a searing wall of fire at them, separating the heroes from their intended combatants. RBM and Shebang were forced back however as Slipstream, taking the page from heroes, used his own powers to feed the flame, the fire burning in a great pillar of destruction.

"Why can't you guys just ever make it easy?" Shebang remarked, placing her hand on her hip as she considered the barrier.

****Onyx skulked across the battlefield, ignoring the efforts of the SCU to apprehend him as he continued to batter the officers away from his allies. Ebon himself gave the rock-like Bang Baby the mission to occupy the Special Crimes Unit, a job the powerful thug performed with extreme prejudice.

Strewn all about him were the unconscious bodies of officers willing to tackle a bigger enemy than they should. Ignorance however was no excuse, and Onyx preformed his measure of education with hostile results.

Grabbing the Kevlar uniform shirt of yet another officer, the heavy-fisted villain drove the unsuspecting specialist into the wall of the station house, knocking him unconscious as he slumped against the concrete. Onyx prepared to attack two other officers who continued firing their weapons at him, much to his annoyance, when the sudden movement caught his attention.

Staring fixedly at the strange, rippling form before him, Onyx contemplated the shimmering mirage-like figure before the heavy body collided with his, knocking the both of them against the nearby armored vehicle and sending it flipping on its side. Onyx knew a fight when he saw one, and though whatever this was before him, he would crush it like everything else.

****"Come on Gear, you can do better than that," Puff smiled arrogantly as one of the geniuses spider-grapples passed through her incorporeal form.

Gear pulled away slightly, trying desperately to calm his labored breathing as he quickly moved, avoiding the random blasts the SCU continued to fire at the gathered Meta-Humans. His mind raced as he contemplated the means to defeat the boasting villain yet constantly his mind was drawn to other aspects of the battle. Talon and Jersey hitting the ground, neither of which was moving while Shebang and RBM battling Hotstreak and Slipstream. Static fought Ebon in a battle the genius was sure would repeat itself many times in the years to come, but now he struggled to subdue Puff, which proved more difficult than expected.

It was then that the large portal appearing beneath the SCU headquarters drew the suddenly terrified young man's attention away from the floating young woman. Ebon had apparently summoned a portal with the full intent of dropping the Special Crimes Unit off the edge of the earth. He would have succeeded too, had it not been for Static summoning all his own power to pull the massive building from the portal and stabilize its position.

Seeing the strain the exhaustive use of his powers were causing his best friend, Gear flew haphazardly toward the shadow master, fully intending to support his partner and leaving Puff behind. That however was an error he realized too late. The acidic villain had mastered her powers marvelously, and could shift her consciousness through the very air itself, effectively teleporting her own being. It was how she appeared before the startled tech wizard.

"Boo," Puff said, smiling as she expelled a gust of air that blanketed Gear. "Don't worry sweetie, Ebon wants you alive."

"What?" Gear choked, his own gag reflex reacting as he tried to purge the toxic fumes from his system. He realized immediately the lulling effect the cloud was having on his reflexes, and noticed too soon that his own effort to stay conscious failed as he fell into blissful darkness.

****Static gritted his teeth against the effort of supporting the building. He never knew he had enough power to do something like this, but necessity often caused the realization of drastic measures. Yet despite his own, quickly tiring effort, he fought to keep the building from slipping into the void Ebon had summoned.

Yet as he felt his own mental efforts struggle, the sudden release of Ebon's portal caused his to flip head over heel at the sudden dissolving of the portal. As he righted himself, Static watched as Ebon looked in his direction, a smug and confident smile forming his features as he summoned portals for each of his allies. The sour taste of frustration tainted Static's mouth as he watched in silent frustration as his enemy quickly fled.

He had little time however to contemplate the situation as the recovering SCU operatives began making a valiant effort to collect and incarcerate the fatigued heroes. "Everyone," Static said tiredly, shifting his board slightly as he dodged yet another attack. "Pull back, we need to regroup."

"Static," Shebang said frantically over the Shock Vox, "they got Gear."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The loud, clanging sound of metal drumming off the concrete floor sent a shockwave of pain through Gear's head as he wearily opened his unfocused eyes. Glaring and blinking his eyes into focus, the genius turned his attention to the half-circle of villains that stood before him.

"Bout time you woke up hero," Ebon smirked, his shadowy arms folded across his chest.

Gear groaned as he struggled to sit up, his concentration now focused on Shiv as the maniac worked quickly in his efforts to dissemble Backpack. Following his line of sight, Ebon smirked his usual cocky grin before answering. "Can't have you summoning the cavalry now can we?"

Gear sighed heavily, a fit of coughing expunging the fumes Puff used on him. "What do you want with me Ebon?" The genius glared, hoping he sounded braver than he felt.

"To the point as always, eh Gear?" With that, the shadow master tossed the rolled paper at the suffering young man. Unrolling the papers and scanning it only briefly, Ebon was welcomed with a mixture of disbelief and fear from Gear. "I want you to build that Gear."

After a moment of silent contemplation of the effectiveness of the device, the bright Bang Baby found his voice. "You're totally mad Ebon...there's no way I'll build this thing for you."

"Wow, I am impressed," Jersey broke in, an appraising smile donning her features. "He only skimmed it and realized what it could do."

Shock again filtered into Gear's system as he clutched the blueprints in a death grip of utter loathing. "You've gone completely off the deep end this time Ebon. What the Hell are you thinking?"

Sighing in complete disappointment, Ebon looked at the genius with a mixture of hate and pity. "I'm thinking its time we liberated the Bang Baby solution."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"My fellow citizens," Mayor Isabelle Thomas said, addressing the gathered reporters as well as the cameras that carried her image across Dakota. The impromptu meeting had been hastily called to order, and thus she was not entirely prepared for the speech, yet good politics required the ability to think quickly while making a show of acting quicker. "It is my unfortunate duty to advise you that as of 11:03 a.m., this very afternoon, the Special Crimes Unit was involved in an assault with many known Meta-Humans.

"The attack on SCU headquarters all but destroyed the station, and sent more than 20 brave men and women in the service of their community to the hospital, many with very serious injuries. While it has been the stance of this administration in the past to support the so-called hero Static Shock and others like him, their involvement in this attack cannot go unchallenged.

"I fully believe it was the work of the SCU and none other that prevented civilian injuries. But we have suffered too much in our city to accept this mild relief as success of our mission," the mayor allowed for a brief pause, a show for the audience watching that her next words were what this meeting was all about.

"I, myself, as well as members of your city council have just signed an executive order initiating Marshal Law for the city of Dakota. Curfews will be enforced for all communities, and...though I greatly grieve the need for such action, I have requested aid from our state's National Guard division.

"Please bear in mind that we have not come to this decision lightly, yet to curb the violence threatening our streets, we have no alternative than to protect our citizens." Another moment of silence as the mayor raked the reactions she saw in the faces of those present. Regardless, she pushed forward. "In this time of crisis, the safety of our people is our only objective. We cannot submit to the fear that has grieved us all. We will push forward, and succeed, because failure is not an acceptable outcome."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static, RubberBand Man and Shebang sat in the private office of the Dakota Community and Wellness Center while Mr. and Mrs. Vale attended to the injuries Talon sustained during the battle. They weren't sure how badly she was injured, as the fall that caused her injuries was particularly nasty.

Static however couldn't shake the sinking feeling of failure that consumed him heart and soul. Not only was Talon injured, but also the Breed took Gear and the fear of not knowing what had happened to his best friend tore at him in silent desperation. And so, he waited like the others, pacing the length of the room as he considered what could have been done differently, all the while avoiding eye contact with his father and Talon's mother who both waited patiently as well.

A nearly a half an hour of uncertain waiting, the two doctors entered the room; both wearing satisfied looks on their faces.

"There isn't anything threatening in her condition right now," Mr. Vale said, his eyes focusing on Ms Garcia. "Give her a day and she'll be back to normal."

"It was really quite surprising," Mrs. Vale commented. "Judging by the fall she sustained, her injuries should have been much worse. We could only surmise her powers also give her an advanced healing factor as well."

A general and consensual sigh of relief echoed through the room as Ms Garcia stood immediately. "Can I see her?" After a gracious nod of approval, the woman rushed off to see her daughter.

"I don't get it," Static said, finally voicing his doubts after the fear of Talon's condition was removed from the pressure. "Why'd they take Gear?"

"That's something we'll have to ask them when we catch up to them, it's that simple." Shebang responded, ignoring the silent protests her own parents fixed upon her. She was certain that after seeing the badly injured Talon her parents would spend a great part of the coming evening trying to dissuade her from taking action. Regardless of the fact, however that she never asked for the powers she had, it was her choice on how to use them.

"There's a lot to think about on all matters," RubberBand Man said, leaning back in his chair to better distribute his weight. "You know the SCU won't let up now."

"No, you're definitely right about that," Robert said, finally bringing his own guiding influence into the circle. "I think it would be better if you all lay low for a while...at least until the danger is past."

"Can't do that pops..." Static sighed, shaking his head in protest. "As much as I'd love to take a vacation, Gear's still missing and we got to find him. It's a shame we couldn't have captured any of the Breed though, that would have made it easier."

"No kidding," Shebang said, her right hand resting against her left shoulder as she generously massaged the aching muscles in her back and neck. "We had Chainlink down. Shiv looked like he was taken down by a SCU blast..." Shebang replied, recounting the memory of the battle in her mind. "Any idea what Onyx was doing? When I saw him it looked like he was fighting with something...but I didn't get a good look, I was trying not to get burned by Hotstreak."

"That something would have been me," the disembodied voice stated as the large form of the massive lizard-like creature uncloaked itself for those within the room to witness. Immediately the heroes flexed instinctively, preparing for battle should it come to it while Mr. Hawkins and Mr. and Mrs. Vale backed into the far corner. "Don't be alarmed, I'm not here to fight."

Shebang however was the first to find her voice. "I remember you...you called yourself Grendel. Well what do you want if you haven't come here to threaten us?"

"I've come to help."

-To be continued

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Well, everything is now starting to fall into place. I had planned for Grendel to join Static's team earlier, but bringing him in without a good idea of how to do it was posing to be a problem. As for next chapter, you'll find out what Ebon is planning as the full-scale war Alva wanted gets underway. Not to mention, you'll have a better understanding of Alva's own team as well. **evil cackle** And you though the Breed was bad. MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. As always, reviews are welcomed. Hope you all enjoy.


	15. Last Rights

Static Force 

Chapter 14: Last Rights

Edwin Alva sat poised in his luxurious executive chair, seated at the head of the table of what he affectionately called the War Room. Seated in their assigned places about the rectangular surface were the hand-selected members of his elite force, appropriately named the Meta-Superior. Gathered together at this particular moment to discuss final orders before the conclusive strike, the team positioned itself in eager anticipation while the venerable business leader conducted the briefing.

"As I've stated," Alva began, a confident grin casting across his weathered face. "The defeat of the SCU is exactly what we required to excise our plan into full momentum."

"So you want us to start laying the town to waste?" The young female asked, her prim and poised stature exuding a confidence that bordered insubordinate arrogance.

"Not just yet my dear Madelyn, we have only to wait until the fall of Ebon's team."

"And how exactly are they getting taken outta da picture?" the villainous Replikon asked, leaning back in his chair in distinct contrast to the other members around the table.

"Plans have already been placed into effect. Suffice it to say, a little birdie will show them the way. She's quite adept at spying, as you all should know."

"Maybe so, but it would not be wise to put all of your faith in the cards you hold in your hand Mr. Alva." The aged scientist said, his hands tirelessly polishing the laser amplified goggles as he spoke. "A game is won not by what you have in your hand, but what is yet to be dealt. You should take precautions against any unforeseen circumstances. Wouldn't you agree Bernard?"

"The names Brandon...BRANDON you senile old fool!" The red costumed young man said, addressing his brilliant counterpart.

"I agree Dr. Menace," Alva responded, speaking to the aged engineer while ignoring the tantrum of younger physicist. "That is why we always have a contingency...isn't that right?" Alva said, turning his attention back to the shadow that stood against the wall and shielded the businessman's flank.

"That's correct father."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static paced about the interior of the large office of the Dakota Youth and Civic Center, sizing the massive Bang Baby up as he tried desperately to make sense of the situation. Not only had Gear been snatched by the Breed, but now this seemingly unknown Meta-human had offered his assistance. It took all of RubberBand Man's persuasion to keep Shebang from declaring a full-out war against the intruder.

"I told you, I'm not here to fight," the massive beast named Grendel said, his eyes staring mournfully at the pink uniformed martial artist. "I want to help you."

"Really, how can we trust you?" Shebang said, her eyes glaring daggers into the larger Bang Baby. "Last time I saw you, you were thrashing Vanmoor School of Science."

"I went there only seeking help...do you think I like being this freak?" The gray-skinned monster said, his head bowed in self-loathing.

"Cry me a river Frankenstein! I don't think we can trust you and I'm not about to trust our lives that you might be lying."

"Interesting," the deep voiced creature said, his eyes matching Shebang's. "You know, the ancient Romans, when defeated, would poison the wells of their enemies before leaving, so their enemies could never again use the land. The poison coming from your lips is enough to kill a city!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

"That's enough, both of you!" The pending argument was finally silenced as Mr. Hawkins made his forgotten presence remembered. "I don't know what your past problems may be, but dwelling on them won't help the situation now."

"He's right," Static said, shifting his eyes between Shebang and Grendel. "We have to figure a way around this. Gear's been snatched and we may need all the help we can get. But first," Static said, turning to face the giant. "Tell me why?"

Shifting nervously, Grendel considered which definition of the question would satisfy the hero. Why did he want to help? Why should they trust him? Why take the chance? Uncertain of how to answer, the boy trapped in the skin of the monster responded. "Because I can."

It was a moment of silence before Grendel realized that answer was not sufficient enough to appease the electric hero's inquiry and proceeded. "Since I've become this monster, I only wanted to find someone who would help. But most people reacted negatively towards my appearance." A pause in his confession as the massive figure took a deep breath, his thick chest rising in response. "I was there at the park when the frozen girl attacked the assembly. I saw her getting attacked as well, and then you came to help her. I thought, maybe if you protected people like that, then I could find a place where maybe I belonged. That's why I want to help you...because I there's no where else for me to go."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shiv rocked back and forth in a manner similar to an overactive child, all the while cackling as Gear continued to test the durability of the restraints that bound him tightly to the chair. "Heh heh heh...I guess Great Escapes aren't part of your reservoir eh genus boy?"

"First off," Gear said, sighing for dramatic effect as he relaxed his muscles against the thick leather straps. "It's not reservoir, it's repartee...and secondly, you're using the wrong word even in your ignorance. It's resume not repartee."

Shiv screwed up his face as if thinking about the information given to him before shrugging his shoulders and giving up. "I'll tell you what I do know however...I know you're about to suffer extremely if you don't do what Ebon says."

Gear's eyes opened wide momentarily as he recalled the schematics Ebon placed in front of him. From a simple glance, a few of the minor calculations were wrong but even building it with the errors in tact would not diminish its overall function. Before he could comment on this however, the large door barricading the chamber opened as Ebon entered, followed by the remaining members of the Breed.

"So Gear, you ready to talk?" Ebon said, a large clatter of noise sounding throughout the chamber as Hotstreak dropped the crumpled remains of Backpack.

"You're insane Ebon if you think I'll help you build that thing!" Gear said, the anger of his emotions causing him to tug against the restraints once more. "Do any of you realize what he's planning?"

"Shut up Gear!"

Ignoring the warning of the shadow master however, the tech genus continued regardless. "He's not wanting me to build a device to make a third Big Bang...that thing he wants me to build is a bomb that would wipe out every non-Meta-Human in Dakota! Do you guys really want to be involved in this?!"

The swift backhand by the angry, inky villain silenced Gear's desperate plea. "I told you to shut up!" Turning back to face his subordinates, Ebon stared at each as if daring them to challenge him. "Face it Gear, you got no choice. Your outnumbered, out maneuvered and your precious toy robot is scrap metal. It's over Gear."

'_Of course_,' Gear thought to himself as his eyes immediately shifted to the discarded robot. '_Backpack'_ When Static had gained access to the Power Pad; Gear had inserted a secondary module into Backpack. A homing device that linked directly to the aged computers of the satellite base and could not be pinpointed by modern tracking means due to the outdated nature of the mechanism. He realized with that simple satisfaction that not all hope was lost.

"Ebon," Gear smiled, trying to sound braver than he felt. "It'll be a _cold_ day in Hell before I help you build that thing."

"Hell...is exactly where you're going Gear."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maureen O'Connor was having a bad day. Not only was she a virtual prisoner within the solitary, underground base but the foolish and annoying machines around her would not stop beeping...causing her to lose a great deal of control against the desire to deep-freeze the lot of them.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She said, her words coming quickly as her hands covering her ears and gazed wide-eyed around the chamber. She wanted to leave...she wanted to make the machines go away. But for some reason she stayed...either out of respect for Static or because she had nowhere else to go, she wasn't sure, but she was quickly losing focus against the annoying screech of the computers.

Walking towards one of the many consoles that lined the walls, Maureen brought her tiny fists against the computer, hoping in some fashion that battering it would cause its deadened silence. "Shut up!"

Regardless of the impractical application of force, Maureen managed to silence the whirling, beeping and pulsing tones in her violent tirade, more than likely pressing the proper button on the console while doing it, leaving only a single, solitary warning alarm echoing through the hidden base. Following the noise, the young woman stared curiously at the singular computer tower, struggling to determine the readings she received.

After a moment of confusion, she finally gave up understanding the computer language and looked for the communicator Static had given her. She felt uneasy using the device, and though her trust of others extended only so far, she felt within herself what needed to be done.

"H-Hello?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Location-City Hall

Mayor Isabelle Godfree reclined in her officer chair, her fingers massaging the unpleasant throb that had settled in the core of her temples. The recent public opinion poll had not been favorable and she fought desperately to devise a means by which to undo the damage done to her public image. The defeat of the SCU had been most disheartening, and though she considered calling in members of the National Guard to help put down the Meta-Human crisis, the fear that Dakota would become nothing more than a police state had caused the drastic shift of opinion in many of the residents.

"Fools, the lot of them..." Mayor Godfree spouted aloud, not caring who heard her or in what context they would conclude her words to be. She was tired of the political gambit she ran and was quickly losing. But regardless, backing down now would indicate either weakness or failure of policy that her opponents would quickly capitalize on. She could not risk either.

Some of her more vocal supporters however had suggesting calling in support from publicly recognizable Meta-Humans, such as the Justice League or Titans, but her experience with the Justice League was little better than with their current Bang Babies, a fact she quickly pointed out. The last time the League had arrived in Dakota, the giant spaceship had destroyed a large portion of the southern port district, which cost considerable money and finances to bring back into working order. Not least of which was the individual attacks, one between the twin Green Lanterns that had destroyed large portions of the city, and worst of all was the arrival of the Joker into the very heart of Dakota.

No, the other Meta-Humans were no better than the current population, irresponsible and seemingly godlike, wanting mere humans to worship their existence for saving their lives despite the countless strain their never-ending battles had on property. If the population were to worship anyone, it should be their elected officials.

"I see Machiavellian Politics wears even your restless soul, eh Madam Mayor?" The intruding voice spoke as the thick office door was closed behind his silent entry.

"I'm not in the mood for your cracks Vyers," the mayor said, not bothering to look at the man. "You're my political advisor, tell me how to fix this!"

The man named Vyers shifted his weight slightly, more out of boredom than nervousness, as he stared at his demanding employer. "The only way is to rescind your policy. Public opinion favors the so-called heroes of Dakota too much for them to turn their backs on them. That became increasingly evident by the SCU's defeat. The unit was never designed to attack Meta-Humans, only aid in suppressing them. Even the model unit in Metropolis has Superman supporting them." Another pause as the political advisor proceeded to light a cigarette, ignoring the "No Smoking" sign posted against the wall. "Of course, you should already know this, as it was in my initial report."

The mayor sighed again as she returned to massaging her temples, effectively as she chose to block out the warnings. "Begin the slander campaign as well as the edited video of the SCU attack. We have to convince the public that Static and the rest of his cronies were involved in the assault along with the Meta-Breed."

"You realize a campaign like this will come back to bite you in the ass..."

"I don't pay you to argue with me Vyers, your paid to do your job and that is protecting me."

Nodding his head once, the tall, dark skinned man exited the room before making his way to the public relations department. '_When was it_,' he wondered, '_that protecting the mayor included helping her commit political suicide_?'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"H-Hello?" the voice echoed in silent shyness through the Shock Vox and Static turned from the assembled heroes and took up his communicator. "Is someone there?"

"Uh...Maureen?" Static asked, his eyes narrowing in silent concern as he wondered what had caused the often-frightened young woman to contact him. "This is Static, what's wrong?"

"Um...I'm not sure," the voice called out, leaving many in the room in doubt of the girl's emotional stability. "There's some machine here beeping and it won't shut up. I don't know what to do..."

Static's hand tightened around the boxy transmitter as the frightful realization of the information came to him. "Alright, I'm on my way, just stay calm."

Turning back to his friends, Static eyed each with an uneasy expression, not knowing what the situation might entail. "We need to get over there." The young man stated, his eyes turning to focus on Talon. "You should stay here Teresa, I don't want you getting hurt any worse than you are."

"No way Mr. Hero, I'm going." The feathered Bang Baby said, defiance shining in her eyes. "I owe that woman who threw me to the ground and I'm not about to let you go this alone."

"He's not alone Talon, we're with him!" Shebang said, stepping forward to place herself between the former criminal and her leader.

"Whatever," the winged young woman said, indifference echoing from every word. "I'm still going. My leg's almost healed already and I have a score to settle."

"Look," RubberBand Man intervened, silencing Shebang's obvious upcoming rebuttal. "We don't have time to argue. We have to find out what's going on and rescue Gear...we've no time for petty rivalry."

"He's right," Static said, stepping forward and taking the role given to him by the others. "We haven't time for this. Whatever is happening in the system of the Power Pad could be our only lead to finding Gear so we need to go now."

"No, what we need," Grendel said, a smile crossing his massive face, "Is a plan...and I have one, but we need to find the place first."

"Then lets go."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It has started," Alva said with pleasant satisfaction, glaring once more at his assembled force. "We just got word from our little spy that Static is preparing to assault Ebon's team.

"Son," Alva said, turning to his own child as he began giving orders. "I want you to take Replay and Starburst. Monitor the situation, but only become involved if it is congruent to our plans, is that understood?"

"Of course father," the young man said, his dry, barely tolerable tone not escaping the elder Alva's notice. Though he wore the costume many were familiar with, he no longer held the various belts of Bang Baby gas to summon his powers; those forces were now fused with his genetic structure, the result of his overdose of the gas.

"Good," Alva continued. "I want York to monitor the situation. Give him continuous updates of the battle. When the time is right, York will notify the police. Madelyn dear," Alva said, pausing to address the young woman. "I want you, Replikon and Dr. Menace to remain here. We need to monitor their progress and if things become too involved, then you should go to assist, is that understood?"

"Certainly Mr. Alva," Madelyn said, not at all happy either with the assignment but willing to suppress her distaste for the good of her own objective.

"Excellent, then begin."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Puff floated aimlessly about the hideout, absorbing what her mind had just observed from the blue prints she had finally studied. She had no problems with theft or other random acts of violence, but what Ebon was planning was nothing short of genocide, and on the scale of something a sociopath would conceive. The thought brought a sick feeling to the pit of her stomach.

"What's wrong Puff?" the voice asked before the vaporous Bang Baby realized she had floated into the meeting room and was confronted by Ebon and the other members of the Breed.

"Why didn't you tell me what you were planning Ebon?" Puff asked uncertainly, scanning the members for some hopeful support against the Shadow Master. "You're planning to wipe out the city?"

"Yeah..." the ebony villain said, a smug grin crossing his attention. "That should get their attention, don'tcha think?"

"I don't get it Ebon," Gear finally said from his fixed position. "When did you ever resort to killing?"

"You obviously ain't read my file then Gear, I was locked in juvie for two years before the Big Bang, for trying to kill a cop. I'd have done it too if my brother hadn't stopped me. Always the softie. But killing ain't no skin off me...I'd have don't worse than that if I could...and now, I'm going to do just that."

"This is insane Ebon!" Puff blurted out, wishing at once she could take back the words as the others stared at her in silent persecution. "W...what you're talking about is murder!"

Scanning the group before her, Puff watched as Hotstreak and Shiv shrugged their shoulders, the latter looking almost excited by the proposition. Chainlink and Slipstream both seemed impartial towards the suggestion, street life being what it was required violent messages after all, while Jersey smiled smugly, suggesting the idea had been hers all along.

"You know what they say Puff," Ebon said, advancing on his frightened ally. "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."

"You call mass genocide making an omelet?" The new voice spoke as the collected villains turned to see Static standing aboard his flying disc just inside the open window that faced the city. "Remind me never to ask you for any of your recipes."

"Well, well, the hero finally showed." Ebon said, ignoring the electrical discharge that began to build off the intruding young man.

"One way or the other Ebon, it all ends today!"

-To be continued

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evilness indeed, to end the chapter at the pivotal fight scene. Just horrendous of me, ne? Well, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update, as I'm going to be moving into my new apartment next Friday and have a lot of stuff to take care of between now and then. Hopefully I'll get it updated soon but just wanted to warn everyone. As always, reviews are appreciated. Danke


	16. Gods of War

Static Force: Chapter 15-Gods of War

"One way or another Ebon, it all ends today!"

Static sneered at the dark villain, the whites of his eyes becoming a violet in response to his declaration. The shadowy criminal however returned the sneer as he glided closer to the floating hero.

"You got a lot of guts hero, coming into our crib alone. You on some kind of death wish?"

"He's not alone!" A new voice spoke, as RubberBand Man slid his form in a cohesive blob that melted from the heating vent and solidified into his natural form.

"That's right," Shebang remarked, making her presence known as Ebon turned to the flank to see the pink-garbed martial artist. "We going ta put you out of business spooky man."

Much to Ebon's unpleasant surprise, members of Static's team now surrounded him and the Breed. Talon stood in the shadows, her eyes impartial towards the scene but her body poised for the pending battle, while the large, gray-skinned creature Ebon was unfamiliar with barred the door with his mass.

"You okay Gear?" Static asked, his attention drawing briefly to his partner strapped to the chair.

"Yeah," the genius said, a crooked smile parting his face beneath the emerald visor, "I was wondering when you'd get here." With a slight shift of his attention, he summoned his as of yet unstable new powers, causing the straps that bound him to the chair to open and release their unyielding hold on him.

"Well, it looks like the gangs all here," Hotstreak growled, his own attention turned toward Talon, his anger causing the hairs on his arms to burn away. "This is great, we can kill you all here and now!"

"Then let's dance heroes..." Ebon said, drawing everyone's attention into the battle as he summoned a portal that immediately tore Talon from the scene only to form a new portal mere inches from the far wall and sent the winged young woman slamming hard into the unforgiving brick wall.

Shebang jumped immediately towards Hotstreak, dodging the many bursts of fire that the pyromaniac hurled at the martial artist before she connected a powerful blow to the vandal's chin, followed by an immediate spinning kick that sent the air from his lungs as he slammed into the nearby wall. Turning her attention back to the fight, Shebang lunged at the enigmatic Jersey before the slyly grinning villainess sent an energy beam that knocked the acrobat off her feet.

RubberBand Man contended with the brutal Chainlink, the thug using his metallic tentacles to batter the rubber body of the hero with little effect. Slipstream however sent a great gust of wind that swelled the elastic champion's form like a fully drawn sail, the latter forced to maintain his body else the gust of the attack knock him from his battle.

Slipstream was unable to maintain his attack for long however as Talon, recovering from her initial strike, had sent a sonic screech that sent the large hoodlum reeling. Meanwhile, Gear; able to refit his arsenal of techno-grenades moved to confront Puff.

"Out of my way Gear," the vaporous young woman said, breathing a toxic cloud towards the brilliant young man.

Gear activated a newly developed techno bomb that seemingly from nowhere, sprouted fan blades and dispersed the toxic air. "You don't have to do this Puff. I know you weren't favoring Ebon's plan. Help us out."

"Whatever Gear, I'll be going to jail regardless," she said, vaporizing her form to appear behind her enemy. "But I won't go without a fight!"

"Sorry," the young man sighed with deep reservations as he grabbed a second device on his belt and threw it at the toxic young woman. The device exploded almost instantly upon reaching her, the fumes contained within the sphere spreading over her body and causing a deep, agonizing scream to tear its way from her throat.

The phosphorous burst of heat that extended from the device had evaporated much of her form already. "What..." she attempted to choke out as her eyes stared fearfully at the young man before her.

"Don't worry Puff, this'll just wipe out your body, it won't kill you. I estimate once the pain subsides, you'll have about 36 hours before fully pulling your body back together." Another sigh from the genius before Gear continued. "I'm really sorry."

"Not as sorry as your going to be Gear for doing that to Puff!" Onyx screamed as he lumbered his way towards his intended opponent before being intercepted by Grendle.

"You'll have to finish with me first monster," the large creature said as the two powerhouses began to battle. Gear turned his attention towards the fight, slightly more than surprised to see the massive Bang Baby he'd never seen before fighting on his behalf. It was probably that reason and none other that caused Gear to completely miss the movements of Jersey as the winged woman swooped through the various battle and snatched him from the scene.

"Gear!" Static screamed as he watched his best friend getting carried away by the mysterious woman. Turning his attention back to Ebon, Static took a few steps towards the villain, his casual pace advising his enemy that he had no fear of him. "I'm ending this today Ebon. You've gone over the edge."

"You'll never get anywhere hero, if you only stop at the edge," Ebon said, summoning a portal behind the electric hero as it was quickly blasted from existence by the latter.

"Whatever Ebon. It's the edge that keeps us from falling into madness. You though, I think went over the edge a long time ago." The two propelled themselves at each other, each using their attacks in an attempt to defeat their opponent as the room was soon filled with strobes of light and darkness.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hotstreak recovered himself as he glanced at the madness that surrounded the large chamber. Wherever he turned his attention, a fierce battle was taking place, and not one to sit out on a good fight, the pyromaniac engulfed his body in flame and made his way toward the battling Slipstream and Shebang before a new person stepped from the shadows. Garbed in a thick, winter coat, the young girl looked timidly at the larger villain, as if she were wholly out of place in the scene at all.

"Who the hell are you?" Hotstreak barked, expecting his vicious tirade to cause the frightened girl to cower into her coat further until she disappeared. Instead of fleeing however, the naïve girl raised her head to face the fire starter.

Permafrost said nothing to the raging criminal, merely expelled a small sigh that exited her tiny mouth in a cloud of condensation. Waving her hand in response to the burning villains temper, the frost maiden sent a blast of ice that cut viciously into the wall of flame he had formed around himself. Staring despondently at the far wall, Maureen whispered, "I don't like it here."

In response to her dissatisfied declaration, large pillars of ice exploded from the ground, as Permafrost called forth the water stored within the building's pluming as further arsenal. Hotstreak jumped and tried desperately to avoid the erupting attacks, using his own power to melt the stalagmites of frozen water back to the source. However, the floor of the room was soon flooded with several inches of water, which did nothing to fuel Hotstreak's power. With a final wave of her hand, Permafrost caused the liquid about the extinguished opponent to freeze, trapping him in place.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RubberBand Man held his side in painful response to the attack Chainlink had initiated. Having realized the flat of his tentacles did nothing to the elastic hero, Chainlink sent the edges of his weapons at the purple-garbed hero. RubberBand Man dodged all but one of the spear-tipped vines, the spike of the victorious tendril ripping into his left side and spilling a fair amount of blood.

"Well, well...looks like the living Puddy-boy can bleed after all," the thug said, stepping closer to his intended victim, his long, spidery weapons lashing madly as if eager to run the hero through. On signal, the twelve deadly vines hurled at RubberBand Man, however before any could connect, the elastic champion extending his body and stretching his form in a many holed shape, much like a woven net. As the metallic spines soared through the holes RBM opened, the resilient fighter retracted his form once again, capturing the criminal's power. RubberBand Man was not without his weapons however, and having pinned Chainlink's weapons within his own body, sent both arms extending to their greatest strength, driving the hammers of his fists into the brute's face and sending him into unconsciousness.

Shebang was having a less than difficult time dealing with Shiv, however Slipstream's intervention prevented either herself or Talon from landing a decisive blow on their opponent. Jumping in preparation for a vicious windmill kick to the weapon master's head, Shebang was blown aside by one of Slipstreams wind gusts.

"This ain't going to be easy." Shebang said as she struggled to her feet, Talon by her side and watching the two enemies as the continued to work their way around the heroines in their less then subtle attempt to flank.

Staring at the water that had covered the ground, Talon looked for a moment at the rotund hoodlum before the idea came to her. "Shebang, when I make my move, attack Slipstream as quick as you can."

"What?" Shebang asked, her eyes widening in uncertainty of the plan the winged Bang Baby had concocted. "Are you nuts?"

"You have to trust me on this." Talon said, knowing she was asking the impossible. Turning her attention back towards the wind expert, Talon let loose a sonic screech at the ground that caused the building water to launch skyward in a miniature tidal wave that rose in intensity as it gathered speed.

"What's this? You think that little trickle is going to stop me?" Slipstream boasted, using his power to blast the water, however the thousand of droplets that made up indoor wave merely separated and continued their course, dousing the large thief in water. However, before Slipstream could wipe the water from his eyes, Shebang had delivered three quick, powerful blows, which alternated stomach, chest, and face and sent the large man slumping to the ground.

Talon however had not stopped to see the success of Shebang's attack as she hurled herself at the cackling Shiv, who was unable to avoid the speed of his former ally as she snatched him up and slammed him face first into the wall.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Onyx had expended little energy in his battle with the hulking Grendel, the latter staggering as he stared at his opponent through his one eye that was not swollen closed. Despite the large purple bruise that covered the left side of his face, a small trickle of blood ran from the muscular hero.

"You seem to be pretty new at this fighting thing aren't you?" Onyx said, his eyes narrow as he swiveled his large head from side to side while mocking the rookie fighter before him. "You have no skill boy."

Grendel snarled as he threw his fist at the rock-like bounty hunter, only to have the granite warrior catch the blow in the palm of one massive hand. Before Grendel could respond however, the hammer of Onyx's fist punished the right side of his face. Staggered by the blow, Grendel dropped to his knee only to be pulled back to his feet by his opponent, a second blow landing to his face once more.

"You've got no talent and no business being here rookie." Onyx mocked once more, throwing another blow at the swaying giant, only to have his own punch come up short as Grendel's tail snaked around the massive wrist of the stony behemoth and outstretched his arm. Startled by the sudden counter to his attack, Onyx was unable to avoid Grendel's reverse grip as he twisted his entrapped fist free.

With both arms pinned, one by Grendel's right hand, the other by his tail, Onyx was unable to block the series of punches the furious creature landed, driving the rock-hard villain to the ground in a heap of unconscious rubble.

"I may be new, but I improvise." Grendel said, his heavy breaths coming in great, heaving gasps as he fell to his knees.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jersey had dragged Gear into an alternative room, throwing the genius against the far wall and knocking the wind from his lungs. "I must admit, Ebon and his little friends are slightly amusing for a while, but I'm rather bored now."

Gear leaned heavily against the wall and pushed himself up from the ground with his legs, only to be knocked back to the ground by the energy blast Jersey sent at him.

"You see little puppet...I don't really care if you live or die, or any of them for that matter. I just need to extract that lovely information from your head on how to build the device Ebon wanted."

"You can't be serious!" Gear coughed, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth as he glared at the red-skinned thief. "You'll kill everyone in Dakota with that!"

"Wrong little boy," Jersey said, kicking Gear in the chest and knocking him back to the ground. "I'll only kill non-Bang-Babies. I should be perfectly fine. Besides...imagine what the information would be worth to the right buyer. Either I sell it to a madman, or I ransom the city...either way I'm sure to make a killing..." She cooed, straddling him as sat on his chest, his arms pinned by her legs. Reaching her hands to his helmet and pulling it from his head, she ruffled his hair slightly as she looked down at him.

"Your kinda cute kid. Too bad you'll vegetate after this."

"Don't do it...:" Gear pleaded, instinctively understanding her intentions.

"Sorry sweetheart, but it's a dog eat dog world...and me, I'm a real bitch." She said, latching her hands to either side of his head, intending to extract the information she sought. The problem was, she couldn't determine what information flooding into her mind was the right source. "NO..." she hissed, her eyes squeezing shut from the overload of knowledge she couldn't contain. "NO!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static glared at Ebon. Each had taken a fair number of solid blows, and both were beyond exhaustion. It was only their own dislike that kept them fighting.

"You ain't got a prayer hero. I'm going to take you down." Ebon said, vanishing within yet another portal, only to reappear behind Static to deliver a well-placed blow. Static however, was ready, prepared for the same attack Ebon had used with great effectiveness early in the battle, and charged his electrical aura to send Ebon flying the length of the room.

"Your getting predictable Ebon." Static said, gliding towards the downed villain. "Just give it up and save us both a lot of trouble."

"You're a fool Static...you think I don't know your weaknesses?" Ebon mocked, glaring at the pool of water that had settled on the floor before summoning a portal that caused a large portion of it to disappear, only to reform the vortex above the hero. A large shower of water poured from the portal and doused the charged protector, shorting out his power and causing him to fall to the ground.

Gritting his teeth as his power spiked at dangerous levels within his body, Static dropped to his hands, heavy breaths tearing from his lungs as he struggled to right himself. "You know what Ebon? You're starting to piss me off."

"Just so you know Static...before I send you to hell I want you to know I finally beat you." Ebon said, coming to stand over the downed hero.

"Ebon, you don't have a clue," the hero replied, reacting with reflexes that surprise even his most familiar enemy. Latching his arms around Ebon's shadowy form, Static looked at the dark master and smiled triumphantly. "Lights out Ebon."

With those words, Static began drawing forth the electrical energy from the building itself, recharging his power, yet at the same time shorting himself out as the water around his feet deactivated his power, causing the painful energy surges from the positive/negative reaction to transfer into Ebon's body.

"Basic science Ebon," Static said above the screams of his archenemy. "Electricity always will find a grounding agent. It's just unlucky for you that grounding agent is you." After a moment of the painful explosion of electrical energy, Static released his prisoner, allowing Ebon to fall to the floor unconscious, yet still twitching.

"Gear!" Static said, remember his partner being drawn into the battle with the mysterious Jersey before the tech genius staggered from the room and leaned heavily against the doorframe.

"I'm cool V, but she's not." Gear said, signaling back inside the room. "I've done what I can for her but there's not much response. She tried extracting the information on how to make that bomb from my head. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know how active my mind was and she couldn't control the information. She overloaded her brain. I doubt she'll ever recover." Gear said, a deep sigh echoing past his lips as he shook his head sadly at the greed that drove the woman to her current state.

Feeling sympathy for his best friends apparent, yet unfounded guilt over the situation, Static made a mental note to talk to him later. Now however, they had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Is everyone alright?" Static asked, watching as Shebang and Talon made sure the bonds of everyone were secure, a concerned look crossing his features as he watched RubberBand Man attempt various methods to stop the bleeding of his punctured side. In truth, Permafrost seemed to be the only unhurt member, as she stood cautiously in the far corner, unwilling to mingle with the heroes.

"I think for the most part we are all fine," Grendel said, his swollen face a horrible mixture of pain and grotesque deformation.

"Well regardless," Gear said, his eyes growing slightly wide as he held a Shock Vox in his hand, "Our informant just called. Seems the SCU has been alerted of our presence here and are on their way. I don't think anyone is going anywhere, so we need to get out of here and let the police deal with the cleanup."

"Agreed," Static said, floating on his disk while drawing more energy from the building's power supply. "Let's go."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day had been full of news as Shelley Sandoval made her way from Channel 8 News Building and into the bustling streets of downtown Dakota. She loved this city, and the people who resided within its limits, yet that didn't stop her utter disgust with recent happenings of the city. The mayor, at the center of the controversy, had effectively turned Dakota into a war zone by outlawing all Bang Babies.

She had just filed the story with her editor in fact only moments ago. The mayor, in her power hungry public address, had not only refused to accept help from other substantial Meta-human groups such as the JLA or the Teen Titans, but went so far as to say they would be treated with equal courtesy as Static Shock and his friends, should they come to Dakota.

In fact, the only significant revelation despite the mayor's obviously public image campaign was news that the SCU had apparently apprehended the so-called Meta-Breed. That caused only slight relief in the young reporter, as it meant the mayor, for the time being, would forego requesting aid from the National Guard. The last thing this city needed to survive was to be gripped in the stranglehold of a police state.

But regardless, she was a reporter, and her duty was to report the news in an unbiased and fact-based manner, her own opinions be damned. Though of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't help those in the position to prove the controversy surrounding the interior of the hostile situation from finding the truth. That was why she had now moved into the vast maze of alleys that led into the guts of the city, hoping her informant would not be late. Although she understood his desire to keep things secretive between them, she couldn't help the frustration at his instructions to meet in such an obscure location.

Coming around the final corner to her destination, she saw Static leaning heavily against the far wall. "You okay kid? You look pretty banged up."

Static smirked as he waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing a bit of rest won't fix. I heard the mayor's boasting how the SCU battled Ebon into submission. Well at least she'll leave us alone for a couple of days."

Shelley cocked her head slightly; uncomfortable with the feeling of unfamiliarity with Static's wording and posture she got while listening to him blow off the accusations of the mayor. When Static first came to her, he was indignant that the mayor had called him and his friends nothing short of terrorists. Now, Static seemed to merely brush it off as if it were an expected, everyday occurrence.

Brushing it aside as battle fatigue, Shelley continued. "Well, I'd say get some rest when we conclude our business."

A smile, much different than the one he normally wore crossed Static's features as he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the digital disk. "Gear found this in one of the control panels after the SCU left. You'll find footage of the battle."

A smile passed Shelley's face as she accepted the disk. "You didn't by chance plant cameras that weren't on the specks did you? You know news tampering is illegal."

"Don't worry, like I said, Gear found those cameras. It seems even Ebon didn't trust his allies." Static said, shrugging one shoulder in a manner of nonchalance.

"All right, I'll take of it. But, if you come across any more info you know where to find me." Shelley said, giving a half smile to the hero before turning to make her way out of the alley.

Static stood a moment, a vicious grin painting his features as he watched the reporter depart. When she was out of sight, the form of Static quickly shifted as Marvin Roper stood where the hero had once been. Opening his communications link, he spoke into the shiny device. "It's done Mr. Alva. Shelley will be airing the report to show the mayor is a liar."

"Perfect, the aged voice from the other side of the communicator responded. "Once the mayor is removed from power for her incompetence, we will own this city. Well done Replikon."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shelley Sandoval wasn't the best investigative reporter in Dakota for nothing. She picked up immediately the cues and body language the pseudo-Static had used, the whole mannerism and language was wrong from all previous times she'd met with him, but regardless played along until discovering out his motive. By doing so, she also knew who was behind the ruse. It was easy enough to be trusting of other people, even easier to take advantage of that trust. Shelley however, was never a person to be taken advantage of.

Quickening her pace while stealing a quick glance over her shoulder to ensure she was not being followed, Shelley fumbled with the disk the imposter had given to her, before returning it to her purse. Reaching her car is far less time than it had taken to arrive at the rendezvous, Shelley quickly unlocked her door and started the car before pulling yet another device from her purse, a small, silver communicator, different from the bulkier and sturdier Shock Vox's used by Static's team and more like a cell phone, yet never the less, effective.

Flipping open the panel as Gear had shown her the basic operation; Shelley brought it close to her lips. "He's making his move."

Having reported to her sources, Shelley put her car in drive and merged with traffic. Static would notify her when to meet next, that was the arrangement of their agreement. It gave her a lift of spirit, however, as she considered that she was doing her own small part to help save Dakota.

-To be continued

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Gah...it took forever to write this up. Sorry for the delayed update, but the move into the new apartment took longer than expected. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this and as always, reviews are greatly appreciated.


	17. Days Gone By

Static Force

Chapter 16: Days Gone By

Virgil sat distractedly at the dining room table, absent-mindedly dragging his French fry through the glop of ketchup and swirling it about while staring blanking out the window. He hadn't quite noticed his father or Sharon's concerned expression as they stared at him in quiet apprehension. Truth be told, Virgil paid little attention to all else except the thoughts that dragged him into the solitary recesses of his own daunting concerns.

"Virgil?" the deeply echoing concern of his father's voice brought his mind from the abyss of contemplative thought as he stared back at his family and observed the worry painting their faces regarding his state-of-mind.

"Oh, yeah...sorry pops, just thinking about something," the young man responded, running his fingers through the mop of dreadlocks that comprised his hair.

"If you feel like talking about it..."

Sharon however was more direct in the matter. "Whatever's on your mind Virgil, spit it out. You know we know...well, maybe not everything but enough that you can trust us to listen." She paused to take a drink from her glass before continuing. "But ever since you defeated those Bang-Babies, you've been moping around like your half-dead or something. You should be happy they're off the streets."

Virgil ignored the forming smile that tugged at the corner of his lips as he shifted his gaze to the half-eaten hamburger on his plate. Not for the first time in his life was he thankful for the two people sitting at the table with him, and though he'd never tell Sharon, he loved them both with everything he had. The thought of sharing some of his burden however, wasn't such a bad idea.

"Yeah, I am happy Ebon and his crew aren't a threat...it's just, there's more to it than that."

Finally turning to face his father and sister as they patiently waited for him to continue, Virgil pushed forward with his thoughts. "Not all the villains are the ones you see on the news, you know?"

"Is this about Edwin Alva?" Mr. Hawkins asked his son, much to the surprise of the young man. Chuckling at the reaction he received from the youngest Hawkins, the elder man continued. "Ritchie told me a lot about what was going on. Seems you're not the only one feeling the need to talk to someone."

Virgil smiled slightly as he sat straighter in his chair, his shoulders however slumping forward slightly as if crushed by the weight of the city. "Yeah...something like that," the young man said, shaking his head tiredly as his hair bobbed in response. "We're taking every precaution to stop Alva's plan, but its safe to assume he knows that we know. He's bound to have a few surprises we don't know about yet."

Pushing himself from the table, Virgil slowly rose to a standing position before walking slowly toward the door. "I'm really sorry Sharon, but I need some time to think about some stuff. You mind if I beg off doing the dishes tonight?" Before an answer was even formed however, the teen had shuffled himself from the dining room.

Sharon made to stand and go after her brother but her father's gentle hand resting atop hers ceased any probable departure. "I'm worried about him daddy," the young woman replied, her eyes focused on the door her brother had disappeared through. "He barely touched his dinner and just looks so worn down."

Robert closed his eyes and tried desperately to hide the deep-rooted sigh that threatened to escape his lips before turning back to his daughter. "It's to be expected Sharon. He's taken a heavy burden, trying to end this crisis and keep everyone safe. It can't be easy for him. No matter how the city views him, Static is just a young man trying to do what's right. Beneath that, is Virgil, trying desperately not to let the weight of it crush him."

"There's got to be something we can do to help him though," Sharon replied, biting her lip in fearful concentration. "Something we can do to end this quicker so he don't kill himself trying."

At this, Robert Hawkins felt his own fears weigh down upon him, weighing him in equal force as Virgil's own pressures. "All we can hope to do for him is support him. And when he stumbles, we need to be there to help him up. That's all we can really do sweetheart."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edwin Alva studied the figure before him, listening in great detail of the debriefing provided to him. The battle between Ebon's Meta-Breed and Static's team had been surprisingly short-lived and though he though Ebon had power to rival Static, the current assessment proved otherwise.

"So it is as you say?" Alva said, a crooked smile adorning his weathered features. "I'm surprised the Meta-Breed went down so quickly, especially after recruiting the new one...what was his name? Slimtree?"

"Slipstream," Talon corrected, casting her eyes away from the businessman lest he accuse her of challenging him.

"Very well," he said, turning to face the skyline of the city. "I'll take you for your word. Another matter concerns me however. This large Bang Baby you described having joined Static's legion, how powerful is he?"

"On average I'd estimate him being slightly stronger than Onyx, however he doesn't have the experience and that can be exploited easily enough." Talon continued, pausing to await her benefactor's orders.

Noticing this, Alva smiled, knowing full well his control over the winged Bang Baby. "Very well. We should proceed as planned with our attack, a full-scale assault that will excise the good heroes from existence and leave the city reeling from lack of protection. Static managed to defeat the Meta-Breed, but I wonder if he will have the same fortune against my Meta-Superior."

"Mr. Alva," Talon began, almost fearful for interrupting the business tycoon. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Curious about the sudden outburst, Alva twisted his smile yet again, nearly mocking the feathered young woman. "Why is that Talon?"

"Uh..." a hesitation in her speech allowed Alva's smile to grow. He had her defeated; it was obvious, however his own joy was multiplied by the unease the young woman exhibited. "Well, one thing about Static and his friends are, they fight well as a team. How many battles have the Meta-Superior fought? As a team I mean. If you want them beaten, you need to call them out, attack them one on one where your Meta-Humans will have the advantage. It's the only way without risking serious injury to your team."

Running his fingers delicately over his chin in deep concentration, the wily businessman contemplated the proposal placed before him. "You know Talon, that's quite a brilliant idea. Pick whom you believe should combat who and designate their targets."

"Already ahead of you Mr. Alva." Talon said, reaching to her pocket and withdrawing a folded piece of paper. "In fact, I already have a list made up."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shelley Sandoval sat upon the bench situation on the roof of her apartment building, as she gazed out over the city. She loved this view, and considered it the most spectacular of the entire city. It was where she came to clear her mind and collect her thoughts, and since this whole ordeal had begun, she found herself doing more and more of that.

"I always loved the view from up high," a young voice responded, coming just from her left and slightly higher. A smile formed on her perfect face as she recognized the voice of the young man and felt oddly safer by his presence.

"So do I, it's a great place to clear your mind," she replied, turning in her seat to face expected visitor. "Though I'm sure you already know that don't you Static?"

A chuckled resonated from the young man as he lowered his flying disk to land firmly on the apartment roof. That initial amusement however died quickly as he turned his tired eyes towards the reporter. "You know, it's dangerous to be meeting up here. Alva's sure to have his spies, especially if he knows you're in contact with me. He must know that, otherwise he wouldn't have sent Replikon to you to deliver the tape."

"A little danger never bothered me...spices up what would be an ordinarily boring life." Shelley replied, tilting her head slightly in silent study of the young man.

"Don't worry Shelley, it's me." Static chuckled, expecting the reporter to study him to verify his legitimacy.

The response caused the woman to smile briefly before shaking her head. "It's not that, its just...you look really tired. You okay?"

Static shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly as he cocked his head to one side. "I'll be better once we get everything tied down. This pace is killing me." He said, feigning amusement at his own predicament.

"All the more reason to end this quickly." The reporter said, turning her gaze to peer back across the city. "It's not good seeing you this drained."

"Can't worry about that now even if I wanted to," the young hero said, surprised even as he spoke at how tired his words sounded. "So, what did you call me for?"

Turning back to her possessions at her feet, Shelley dug through her enormous duffle bag until finding the item she sought. Removing a shiny computer disk, the same disk Replikon in the form of Static had given her, Shelley turned back to the hero. "What do you want me to do with this?"

"Yeah, that." Static said, eyeing the object with unspoken reservation. "Gear wanted me to ask you about that. Is it legit?"

"We ran every disk analyzing format program we have available, and even some we don't. There's no computer manipulation or doctoring of the disk. It's legitimate alright."

"Despite all our planning, I had almost wished it had been doctored." Static replied, running his thumb and forefinger against the bridge of his nose. "Knowing that means that Alva's team was close enough to video the entire fight."

"Not necessarily," Shelley replied, a knowing look of concern mirroring Static's own expression. "It's more than likely those camera's were installed prior to your attack on the Breed, primarily because the filming occurred within the building and was stationary. Either Ebon truly didn't trust his own allies, or Alva had a mole on the inside of the Breed."

"Either way it doesn't bode well. Everything is just happening too fast." Static said, heaving a heavy sigh as his shoulders sagged a fraction. The reaction however was enough for Shelley to rise to her feet and face the young hero, putting a hand on his shoulder in a show of support.

"You know you're not in this alone. Your friends are with you Static." She smiled; leaving no doubt that she should be counted among that number.

"Thanks Shelley, I really do appreciate everything you've done for us up to now."

"It's no big deal," she said, shrugging it off as if the matter were merely a means of spicing her normally dull life. "Just remember, you owe me an interview when all this is over."

The first, genuine smile Static felt crossing his face in the last several days lit his features as he looked at the reporter. "Count on it."

"Anyway, what do you want me to do with this disk?"

Knowing the moment had passed, Static studied the disk held in Shelley's hand for a moment, feeling very much like Pandora gazing upon the box that unlocked the evils of the world. If this backfired, there would be no resolution. "Run with it," he said at last, tearing his eyes from the hypnotic glow of the evening twilight reflecting from the disk. "We have to make Alva believe its okay to proceed with his plan. Otherwise he may bulk and this could be the only chance we get to draw him out."

"I was hoping you'd say that," the professional smile again forming on the reporter's lips. "The story is running tonight at 11. Should make a big splash in city council tomorrow, seeing as how the mayor had declared the Breed was defeated by the SCU. This should make for an interesting counterstatement seeing as how she has declared Dakota doesn't need you or the other heroic Bang Babies."

"You...you were going to run it anyway?" Static asked, shocked at the realization. "Then why'd you even ask me up here?"

Shrugging her shoulder, the young reporter smiled again. "Can't a friend be concerned about another friend? I wanted to make sure you were really okay after I realized Replikon had imitated you."

Static opened his mouth to reply, however the sudden squawk of his Shock Vox interrupted any statement. "Static, you there?"

Grabbing the device quickly and flipping it over, Static replied, "I'm here Gear, what's up?"

"We got big trouble bro. Hotfoot it over to HQ as soon as you can. I'm calling an emergency meeting."

"Roger that, I'm on my way." Static answered before cutting the connection and returning the device to his belt. Unfolding his flying disc, the hero levitated a few feet above the ground before turning back to address Shelley.

"I'd say you should go home and get some rest, but looks like that's not going to happen huh?"

"Not tonight anyway," Static sighed as he shook his head briefly. "Listen Shelley, I really want to thank you for everything you've done for us."

"Don't mention it..." the reply came as the young woman waved off the gratitude. "Wars are won with information, and Dakota is at war. I'm just glad to do my part to help get it over with sooner."

Smiling again, Static waved before launching himself from the apartment complex and heading to the gas station.

"Well," Shelley began, holding the computer disk in her hand and studying it for a moment. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's going to be burning the midnight oil tonight."

-To be continued.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Okay, boring I know, and I must say, I am really sorry that it's taken me so long to write the next chapter, but truthfully, I've begun losing my motivation to write this story. Don't worry though, I only have two or three chapters left and I intend to finish it WITHOUT short cutting the story like I've seen some other writers do. You'll get the completed story as I intended, it just might take a bit. Heh. Anyway, as always, reviews are always appreciated. Hope you guys like this. This chapter just sets the groundwork for what's to come. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


	18. End of Days

A/N: Okay, this chapter shouldn't be too long but will set up for what's to come. BTW, the italic sections of the chapter are the news report given by Shelley Sandoval. I wanted it to appear as an actual news broadcast, so there's no "she said..." or "Shelley responded..." Just so you don't get confused. Now, on with the story.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static Force, Chapter 17: End of Days

Static couldn't quite believe his ears as he listened to Gear's evaluation of the situation. It appeared Alva had move whatever team he was currently bringing together into full active service, as the city was all but under siege by the Meta-Humans.

"So, from estimated reports that's where we stand," Gear said, shaking his head tiredly as he stared at his partner. "Looks like Alva is taking a page out Ebon's book by spreading out his team to attack locations all over the city. We can't consolidate our efforts in stopping this."

"No doubt that's Alva's plan," RubberBand Man replied, crossing his arms as he leaned against the nearby wall. "We'll have to think this out carefully."

"Unfortunately," Static said, noticing with a heavy heart that he was not the only person to look so completely spent. The entire team was suffering the effects of the brutal pace the seven of them had undertaken while trying to save the city. It was an inside joke between them all that it would not be the villains that finally proved victory over them, it would be the fatigue. "We don't have time to take this slow. Gear, you and Grendel work out locations and plan the attack. The rest of us will have to get ready."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_We interrupt your regularly schedule program to bring you this special news bulletin. _

"_Good evening, I'm Shelley Sandoval, reporting to you live from our studios in downtown Dakota. As many of you are aware, our city, as so many before, has fallen into the dishearteningly growing fraternity of cities that face the constant and continual threat of Meta-human crime. _

"_Like the cities of Metropolis, Gotham and Keystone, Dakota is now amongst the ranks of those suffering the never-ending threat to peace and prosperity. Our city has become a haven of doubt and despair, where we have come to question the abilities of our courageous men and women of law enforcement in their capacity to protect us. _

"_Over the past several weeks, Mayor Godfree has implemented a hard-line stance of no tolerance for any member of the Meta-Human community within the boundaries of our city. The controversial move however, has done little to deter the efforts of those who would use their powers for ill-gain."_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static propelled himself above the rooftops of Dakota, praying his hesitation would not be too costly. Gear and Grendel had divided everyone's assignment, but it was Static who chose to pull Talon from duty. Her leg had not fully healed, and he wanted someone to maintain communications from headquarters. It took him five additional minutes he was sure he could not spare to convince her to remain behind, but ultimately the feathered Bang Baby relented and went somberly to the consol to monitor the team's progress.

Upon arriving at the business district, Static's worse fears were confirmed. Large portions of the seemingly endless arrangement of office buildings were missing significant sections of their façade. People on the whole were running madly from the scene of carnage as well as the violent drama played itself out to the helpless citizens.

Sighing desperately at the carnage, the young man was most grateful for the simple fact that it appeared only property damage had been sustained up to this point. However that could quickly change given the coming arrival of firefighters and police officers that could be heard from the distance, making their way to this paradigm of disorder in the hopes of desperately regaining control of the situation.

"Static," Talon's voice sounded from the communicator at the hero's ear, "Just received a report from both Gear and Shebang. They've made contact with their targets and are engaging. But...it's not going well."

A sharp stab of guilt and desperation tore through the young man's center, not so much that his friends were being, for all intents and purposes outmatched, but because there were no other options open in dealing with the crisis at hand than to separate the team and deal with it as best as possible. His lack of choices seemed to steal his power in handling the disaster.

"Alright Talon, keep me posted." The electrically charged youth responded as he continued his frantic search for the villain responsible. He didn't have far to go however as he soon came face to face with the Bang Baby who caused all the notable destruction. And despite his best efforts, Static was unable to suppress the slither of fear that made its way down his spine.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_The creation of the Special Crimes Unit as well, was unable to foil many of the Meta-Human attacks directed at civilian oriented attractions. If nothing else it only increased Meta-Human activity as those bent on their anarchical mission viewed the specially equipped policing force as a challenge. Dakota, for lack of a better word, was at war._

"_As this journalist, as many others around the city have reported, not two days ago the so-called Meta-Breed met their defeat battling the SCU. It is my duty to inform you of the inaccuracy of our initial report," a pause followed the last words as Shelley allowed the gravity of what was being said sink into her unseen audience. _

"_Recently, through anonymous sources, Channel 7 News has come into possession of video footage of the battle waged between the Meta-Breed and the heroic Bang Babies who have recently sided with Static Shock in a battle that resulted in the Meta-Breed's capture. The following video, obtained from installed security cameras, clearly shows the battle that incapacitated the villainous Meta-Humans, followed by the entry of the SCU taking into custody of the familiar criminals."_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starburst glared at the hero as he sized up his potential victim, contemplating how best to handle the confident young man. "So you little sparkplug, how've you been?"

Static's mind swam with the realization of the rogue before him, not fully understanding the situation. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that would be obvious even to you Static, I'm destroying parts of the city. You see, this tired old town has always bored me. I thought a new look was in order."

Quickly snatching at the earpiece in his right ear, Static was met by the soulless chuckle of the young physicist before him. "Don't worry, I'm not siphoning your power that way again. You'd already figured that out once and doing something twice isn't my style." Extending his index finger to show the glowing electrical aura, Starburst smiled broadly.

"You see, as I'm sure you know, Mr. Alva recently arranged the release from prison of Dr. Menace. Together, with my knowledge of physics and his understanding of electrical absorption, we designed this suit. All I have to be is within fifty feet of any power source and my power increases exponentially. And what better power source is there in Dakota than you?"

Sneering angrily at the boasting criminal, Static sent a burst of electricity at the chest of Starburst, only to have the specially designed suit absorb the discharge. "You see? I'm a living energy cell...and you Static, are the biggest battery in Dakota."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_As you can see from our exclusive footage, the safety of our city was not guaranteed by members of the elite SCU, but by the heroes of Dakota who have fought time and again to preserve the fragile sanctity of our often way of life. In truth, our footage reveals the true threat of Dakota is not the Bang Babies themselves, but not having them to protect us. _

"_The Meta-Breed, as are many other villainous Bang Babies, are beyond our ability to deal with. And though recent legislation had driven the heroes of Dakota underground, it is nice to see they are still among us, to defend our lives._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_You realize of course, this is probably a trap."_

The words RubberBand Man said to the group now haunted Static as he battled the empowered Starburst. At last report from Talon, communications with Grendel, Permafrost and Gear were lost, and Shebang was fighting hurt. His team was being picked apart, and he had not heard from Talon in over a half an hour, causing increased worry that she too may have been taken, meaning Alva knew their headquarters' location. But regardless, he pushed all concerns from his mind and focused his attention on the battle at hand.

Spinning his board in a fast-moving spiral, Static successfully dodged Starburst's attack. The hero was having less than moderate success, doing no more than fighting a defensive battle in the hopes of establishing a strategy. Every attack thrown at the brilliant scientist was merely absorbed into his suit and redirected in greater force, a few of which found their way to some part of the hero's body, causing him to wince in pain with every move.

"Face it Static, the champion of Dakota is nothing more than a washed out has been."

The words gave Static an idea however, and turning his attention to desperately search the streets, Static found a nearby hydrant and sent a burst of electricity to tear the top of it away. The geyser of water bursting up through the city streets distracted Starburst long enough for Static to fly quickly to the funnel of moisture and, settling himself close enough not to short himself out, he used his disc to redirect the flow of water onto the boasting scientist.

"You know what happens when water and electricity mix Brian? Instant electrocution."

"The name is Brandon you self-diluted idiot. Brandon! How the hell hard is it to remember my name is Brandon!" The rambling criminal replied, shaking his head angrily while sending another blast of electricity towards the hero, knocking Static against the wall of a nearby building.

Winded by the blow, the hero fell forward onto the roof of the lower building before shaking off the confusion and pain before looking skyward towards his enemy.

"Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you the new little feature regarding my suit. I took my powers from you, Static, not the weakness. I didn't want to accidentally fry myself if ever I should fight in a rainstorm, so I made it water proof. Amazing what technology can achieve nowadays."

Gritting his teeth in pain and frustration, Static pushed the building fog from his mind as he lifted himself to a semi-standing position. "You know what Bernard?" the hero taunted, summoning his flying disc to him as he jumped on and projected himself towards his attacker. "YOU TALK TOO MUCH!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_The apparent revelation regarding the defeat of the Meta-Breed casts into question other issues of Mayor Godfree's recent stance against Bang Babies. As you may recall, shortly after the defeat of the villainous team of Meta-Human's, a press release was issued commending the heroic actions of the SCU in the capture of the Meta-Breed. The information regarding the events leading to that capture however, are now brought into question._

"_Regarding recent events concerning the now known video footage, Mr. Robert Hawkins, community leader and head of the Dakota Youth Civic and Community Center as one on our city's most outspoken advocates against the generalization that all Bang Babies should be treated as outlaws had this to say. 'It is a sad day when a community turns its back on its heroes, a day when we as a society paint all members of the same class with the same brush. It is the same mindset and same harsh mentality that leads to racism, segregation, and alienation, to so many other problems that face our society today._

'We as community leaders as well as parents must recognize the contributions of the few, not the actions of the many. In today's society when young kids are being pressured into drugs, gangs and other burdens that make life more a challenge than a blessing, it is important that those kids have a viable role model in which to look up to. Though I am hesitant to criticize our current administration, I cannot help but think that recent actions have placed a wedge between those we should respect, and the rest of our community.

'_Our city needs our heroes.'_

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static opened his eyes slowly in response to the offending light that assaulted his senses, becoming aware of his surroundings only when he made to shield his eyes with his hand and found himself unable to do so. Darting his eyes quickly around the chamber, the hero found himself chained, his arms extended above his head. A low humming was heard emanating from the belt strapped around his waist, the noise growing louder as he attempted to use his powers to free himself.

"Ah, your finally awake." Alva said, speaking from the raised observation booth that overlooked the holding area the hero had found himself in. Staring from right to left, Static saw the other members of his team in similar restraints, scattered about the chamber. "I'll be right down."

"Give it up man," RubberBand Man said from Static's right side, speaking softly so only the hero could hear. We can't break out of this mess. These belts are doing something to inhibit our powers."

"Well...not really," Shebang said, a confident smile crossing her face as she spoke even quieter. "They only stop Bang Baby powers. I'm not a Band Baby so I still got mine. I think I can break out of here, and maybe short out the control device to free us. It could be our only chance to escape."

Static considered the proposal as Alva smoothly entered the room, flanked by members of his Meta-Superior. Each member of Static's team bristled as they stared at the villain that had apparently subdued them. "Well since you're all acquainted there's no need for introductions," Alva stated, the confident smile forming across his lips. I'm sure you've already figured out my goal...seeing as how you infiltrated my secured computer files."

"Don't think we haven't made copies of that either," Gear stated, angrily tugging at his bindings. "I've rigged the computer to forward the complete documents to the SEC if we don't administer the code word once a day, just a safety precaution incase we needed it."

Alva laughed at the comment, throwing his head back in genuine amusement as he considered the notion. "A charming bluff dear boy, but the SEC is not likely to investigate a claim that comes from an illegal download of information, especially information that comes from the illegal hacking of privately own business accounts. And even if by chance they chose to investigate, that file is long since deleted. But even if it weren't, it'd be quite a gamble to incriminate yourself on what could easily be written off as a doctored document."

Falling silent, Gear bit his lip in frustration as Static took the opening. "So, what are you planning Alva? Why expose the mayor's lie by submitting that tape to Shelley Sandoval? What are you trying to accomplish?"

"My dear boy...I want it all."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"At the time of this broadcast, city council has called an emergency closed-door meeting, regarding the recent events and new information. Unfortunately we have received no comment from the mayor herself, or her executive staff. For KRXN News, I'm Shelley Sandoval.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You see," Alva began, pacing the length of the spacious chamber and eyeing the incapacitated heroes much in the same way a caged tiger might eye those it wished to strike against. "The mayor has served her purpose, however for me to move forward, I must implement her in her own incompetent scheme. But that can only be accomplished with you out of the way."

"Explain that villain!" Grendel said, much to the amusement of the Meta-Superior.

"A rather clandestine creature aren't you?" Alva replied before continuing. "I had never expected the mayor to defeat the Meta-Breed, but I had thought the lot of you would have gone underground when she deemed you criminals. It was only a small setback that required modification of my plan. You see, with you out of the way the, shall we say, less savory Meta-Humans would tear this city to shreds. The mayor would lose her position and the governor would lose face for supporting the proposal. Who better to turn to lead the city that its most benevolent benefactor? Me."

"You did all this just to run the city?" Shebang said, her anger causing her to strain against her restraints with little effect. It appeared the exhibitor belt wasn't the only precaution Alva had taken in securing them. "You'd destroy it so you could be boss?"

"You misunderstand child. I don't intend to run the city; I intend to own it. While financing the reconstruction of many of the buildings destroyed during your little tussles with the Meta-Breed, I've also entered into deal to broker purchasing the property while under construction. It's a little known clause in the contractual agreement of every Alva Engineering project that ownership to transferred to Alva Industries. For a limited time of course, however the end date of the amendment is never stated and thus the property is held in stasis for an indeterminate amount of time. An underhanded policy to be sure, but good business is anything but good."

Silence filled the chamber as the heroes absorbed the full context of information. The plan was far more ambitious than originally considered. "Oh, by the way," Alva said, turning his attention to the gathered members of the Meta-Superior as well as Static and the captured heroes. "It seems we are one member shy."

As if on cue, the sliding, mechanical door opened as the shadowy figure entered. All eyes fixed on the feathered Bang Baby who smiled triumphantly at the shocked and unexpected looks of the heroes chained to the wall.

Turning back towards the heroes, Alva smiled as Talon came to stand by his side. "Judging by your reaction, you're obviously surprised. It must be such a curse to be so predictable."

-To be concluded


	19. For Every Action

A/N: This is the final chapter and the big conclusion to a story that has been nothing but a blast to write from beginning to end. I'd like to thank all you wonderful readers who took to time to review this story and give me some great ideas. _bows_ You guys are all great. I intend to write an epilogue as well…but this is the big confrontation. Now, onto the story.

Static Force, Chapter 17: For Every Action

"_You misunderstand child. I don't intend to run the city; I intend to own it. While financing the reconstruction of many of the buildings destroyed during your little tussles with the Meta-Breed, I've also entered into deal to broker purchasing the property while under construction. It's a little known clause in the contractual agreement of every Alva Engineering project that ownership to transferred to Alva Industries. For a limited time of course, however the end date of the amendment is never stated and thus the property is held in stasis for an indeterminate amount of time. An underhanded policy to be sure, but good business is anything but good."_

_Silence filled the chamber as the heroes absorbed the full context of information. The plan was far more ambitious than originally considered. "Oh, by the way," Alva said, turning his attention to the gathered members of the Meta-Superior as well as Static and the captured heroes. "It seems we are one member shy."_

_As if on cue, the sliding, mechanical door opened as the shadowy figure entered. All eyes fixed on the feathered Bang Baby who smiled triumphantly at the shocked and unexpected looks of the heroes chained to the wall. _

_Turning back towards the heroes, Alva smiled as Talon came to stand by his side. "Judging by your reaction, you're obviously surprised. Predictability is mankind's greatest flaw."_

The realization that Talon was standing among the group of criminals had still not fully wrapped itself around the brains of the collective heroes only added to the sudden and unquestionable shock that had washed over them all. Struggling to find his voice, Static blurted out, "H…how could you do this to us Talon?"

The smile she graced him with was more sinister than any he'd seen on the feathered young woman, a mark that she was truly pleased the plan she had apparently concocted had worked without a hitch. Coming in close to Static, the winged Bang Baby whispered in his ear, "I fight for winners."

Eyes going wide at the statement she made, Static bowed his head in defeat, all defiance leaving him in a wave of despair. The result of the action had a similar effect on many of his allies after seeing their appointed leader's unspoken defeat. Alva however, had merely laughed at the sight.

"Well, where is that legendary spirit of yours Static? I do miss your annoying quips." The aged businessman responded, savoring his moment of greatest victory. The rest of the members of his Meta-Superior had followed suit, laughing lightly or talking quietly amongst themselves at the shattered spirits of the captured heroes.

"Alva, if you're going to finish us just do it quick so I don't have to listen to your voice anymore."

"You have the wrong impression Static," Alva said, a smile on his tired features as he savored this moment of greatest triumph. "Killing you would do nothing for my plan, it would just be an unnecessary mess. After all, we'd need someone to take the fall for the destruction of Dakota. Mayor Godfree laid the foundation of hate that I will build upon."

Turning his back on the electrically charged young man, Alva began leading the Meta-Superior from the chamber. Talon, however, fell behind, fixing Static with a look of utmost scrutiny. When the villains had all turned their backs on Static and his team, a smile crossed his own features as he witnessed his moment of opportunity.

His eyes locking Talon's as she stared at him, Static nodded his head once and said loud enough to gather Alva's attention. "Talon, NOW!"

"About time," the young woman replied, a smile crossing her face as she turned to stare at the visibly puzzled Alva before turning her attention to the control panel situated in the far corner of the monumental chamber and let loose a sonic screech that blew the mechanism to dust. The resulting destruction of the power-suppressing module caused the security harnesses binding the heroes to break apart, allowing them to escape.

As the wide-eyed Alva stared at the surprising and unexpected double-cross Talon had done, he was met quickly by one of Gear's grapple-spiders that caught his aged frame in its grip and bound him tightly.

Without wasting time discussing the events, Static sent a bolt of energy at the large sliding doors, magnetically sealing them and preventing any of the Meta-Superior from escaping. "As we planned it," Static said, giving the unnecessary order to strike as each member of his team found their intended target and moved to engage them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RubberBand Man was first to react, stretching his arms; one grabbing Replikon and throwing his body against the metal wall while the other arm struck the visibly confused Omnifarious. His body however snaked its way around the collected villains until he came face-to-face with Starburst, the brilliant young man, shaken by the events as were the other members of his team, sent bolts of electricity at the elastic hero, to no effect.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shebang had sprung forward, using her gifted agility to kick the dazed Madeline into the path of Gear before coming to bring the hammer of her fist into the face of Jonnie Morrow. Staggered by the blow, Replay shook away the pain that lit every nerve in his body as he watched the purple-garbed young woman send her boot flying at his face.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gear knew he had to over-power Madeline quickly; her power made her one of the more formidable members of Alva's team. Not wasting any time, he grabbed a concussion orb from his arsenal and threw it to the feet of the villainous young woman. The shockwave blasting from the small sphere caused her to drop to her knees as she covered her ears to protect her balance from the assault. Using the opportunity of confusion, Gear initiated his new power and telekinetically propelled the psychic against the metal wall of the laboratory before rushing forward to continue his battle.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grendel easily caught Replikon as duplicating thug was among the first to recover from the unexpected turn of events. Transforming himself into the image of Onyx, the villain began attacking the brutish hero.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static and Permafrost had come to stand on either side of Omnifarious as they worked quickly to confuse the powerful vandal, striking him once from the right with a blast of super-chilled air, and then from the left with a burst of electricity. As long as they kept him staggered, he'd go down eventually.

But as Static had blasted his opponent, Permafrost missed her cue, turning instead to raise a wall of ice that protected her from the energy blast fired from the goggles of Dr. Menace. As the wall shattered, the ice-powered teen blasted the aging scientist, knocking him away, only to be caught from behind by an energy burst from Omnifarious that sent her staggering to the ground.

The single-most powerful Bang Baby in the chamber then turned his attention to Static, fully prepared to fight the hero until the sonic screech caught him from behind. Talon swooped quickly and used her powerful leg to knock the criminal to the ground before moving to help Permafrost to her feet, all the while; Static poured his energy at the downed villain. "Just stay down," Static groaned, slightly unnerved to see the younger Alva smile in response.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RubberBand Man was finding his own difficulty beating Starburst. It wasn't that the genius's attacks had any effect on him; it was simply that the heavy armor he wore made it quite difficult to cause any real damage on him.

"You stretchy little freak, I'll barbeque you!" Starburst screamed, sending another burst of power against the rubber hero, to no effect. Growing slightly agitated and more than a bit unnerved, the physicist charged at the hero, preparing to pummel him with his armored fists. However, upon contact the hero merely stretched in response to the depression Starburst made against his elastic body.

RubberBand Man however, understood his own powers and grabbing Starburst and entrapping him in his arms, he rolled himself into a ball, fully covering the energy-stealing criminal. Starburst, in his own frantic realization, began fighting desperately to free himself with no success. In time, the blows against RubberBand Man's interior slowed and then ceased all together.

Uncoiling himself, RubberBand Man released the unconscious form of the young man, realizing with a sense of pity that his own life could have turned out the same way had he not met a special young woman who saved him. Smiling self consciously, RubberBand Man moved quickly back into the battle, intent on defending his friends.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shebang spun and kicked the annoying ex-actor, yet with every version of the self-cloning thespian the martial artist defeated, another appeared. It seemed nearly endless, the battle against this man, and though her talent far exceeded his, she was all too aware of the fact that he had landed a few lucky shots. If it continued, she wondered if her stamina could outlast his duplicates.

But she resigned herself to victory. The plan they had established to confront the Meta-Superior was meant to end it quickly. She couldn't be bothered by the no-talent multiplier; there were more dangerous enemies to take down.

Spinning her body to deliver a devastating roundhouse that sent two of the copies sprawling to the ground, Shebang dropped quickly to one knee, deftly avoiding the blow of yet another copy while sending her elbow into the abdomen of her intended attacker. Springing from her crouched position, Shebang performed a flawless back flip that sent yet another clone to the ground before landing and dropping the pseudo-Morrow she had previously elbowed with a well placed uppercut.

Eyes wide with uncertainty and perhaps a touch of fear, Jonnie Morrow backed against the wall…his chest rising with the effort taken from him in creating the doppelgangers. Shebang smiled confidently as she walked forward, backhanding yet another duplicate and sending the would be attacker into blissful unconsciousness.

"Takes a lot out of you don't it red? Cloning yourself over and over again. I imagine you can only do about a dozen clones before it weighs on you physically," pausing to look at the ground, Shebang smiled at the numbers she'd already defeated. "I figure I've laid out about 20 of your useless doubles. Time for the main event."

With no time and failing energy, Jonnie Morrow turned quickly to flee, only to be kicked from behind and slammed into the unforgiving wall of the isolated chamber. Moaning in pain, the villainous criminal tried desperately to get up until the heel of Shebang's boot sent him into the dark slumber with the other copies of himself.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Menace was not a gambling man, nor was he a man to be taken off guard. Because of that reason, the moment the heroes had escaped he intended to make his getaway in the mass confusion, and his means for doing such had now arrived.

The large, powerfully constructed robot had marched into the fray with little concern, having moved from the far corner once the aged genius had activated it. In all his years of having battled Soul Power, he knew the weakness of electricity, and how to harness that power. Now however, this android was built to far surpass its predecessors. It was his greatest work of art in a career of desolate criminal activity.

Knowing that the heroes had not noticed the android as of yet, Dr. Menace moved quickly to escape the lab, knowing of the only hidden portal within the monumental chamber. If his colleagues were to fall this day, he himself would remain free. After all, fortune favored the prepared mind.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gear moved quickly to avoid the psionic wave of energy Madeline had thrown at him, all the while tossing yet another disrupter bomb in the telepaths direction. The blast rattled the far wall, however had little effect on the manipulative teen, as she enacted a barrier to protect herself.

"You can't beat me Gear, just give up."

Smiling cockily at his opponent, Gear considered the numerous responses that came to mind before settling on the ever-popular cliché. "YOU can't win Madeline, we're the good guys."

"You know, for a genius you say some stupid things. Did you get that out of a comic book?" The young woman asked, arching an eyebrow as she spoke.

"Well, actually yeah, I did." The genius confessed before launching himself once more at psychic, before being met yet again by the full force of her psionic output, causing him to erect his own telepathic barrier to save himself.

"Hmph," Madeline mocked, curling her lip in a sneer that showed her complete exasperation. "I heard you got some new powers after being exposed to the gas, but I'd thought they'd be a bit more…spectacular. This is rather disappointing Gear." The psychic said, mentally pressing her attack.

Grunting against the effort to maintain the power that protected him, Gear unconsciously raised his hand to his neck, his fingers fumbling with the inhibitor chip that rested against the choker that kept his power in check. "You know Madeline, Pandora's Box was a horrifying experiment of curiosity. Your curiosity will only get you in deeper than you can get yourself out of."

With that, Gear tore the choker from his neck and allowed the full force of his power to burst from his body. The vortex formed between the two colliding wills was something spectacular and terrifying to behold. Energy, not normally visible by the naked eye had manifested itself into a corporeal form of destruction that lashed and whipped about the combatants, knocking both Madeline and Gear a bit.

"That's more of what I was expecting Gear," Madeline growled, gritting her teeth as her eyes were squeezed together under the pressure of maintaining the massive surge of power. Gear however, did not respond. His eyes rolled back into his head as a trickle of blood traced its way from his right nostril. All he could do was scream in response to the effort, and fight the urge to retch under the obscene force pressed against his brain.

However, in one last, desperate burst, a final collision of power collided between the two combatants, the resulting shockwave sending them flying in opposite directions. Neither moved as they found comfort in unconsciousness.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static turned his attention momentarily as he watched Gear and Madeline fly in different directions, the blast from their power output shaking the entire structure. "I'll get him," Talon said, moving from her attack on Omnifarious to check on the technical wizard until being called back by Static.

"No," a great deal of regret echoing from his voice but knowing they could not be distracted from the battle. "Help Shebang and RubberBand Man, looks like they're having trouble with Menace's robot."

Nodding her head once, Talon took flight once more and soared towards the massive construct. Static turned his attention back towards Omnifarious and launched a burst electricity at the smirking Bang Baby, the arrogant smile fading slightly at the newest assault.

"That almost hurt," the power-changing younger Alva said, dusting the sleeve of his uniform as if some annoying, insignificant insect attacked him.

"If you liked that, you'll love this," Static said, turning to look at Permafrost and nodding his head once. The temperature in the immediate area dropped nearly thirty degrees, and Static shivered involuntarily as his own breath came from in lips in a cottony puff of air.

With her attention focused on Omnifarious, Permafrost used the might of her power to trap the younger man in a barrier of ice that sealed him from feet to shoulders. The shivering villain looked more than a touch frightened as he strained to move, his mind recalling the time his own powers had turned him to stone. His own fear of his once immobile condition cause him to lose sense of the battle around him.

"No…no…I won't be locked away again. I won't go back to being locked in that form again…" Omnifarious ranted as he ignited his powers to break himself free but stopped as Static moved forward, a look of sympathy on his face, as if he hadn't expected the attack to have the emotional effect on the sometimes unbalanced young man.

Closing his eyes in reservation, Static allowed the burst of electricity to strike the ice but not shatter it. As he knew, water conducted electricity and ice was merely frozen water. Thus the combined efforts of Permafrost's and Static's powers did what neither alone could accomplish, destroy Omnifarious' defense against them and shock him into unconsciousness.

With a heavy heart, Static rested his hand on the young man's partially frozen shoulder before turning to Permafrost. "I didn't know he still feared that so much. I didn't even think about it until he started screaming when he couldn't move." Then turning back towards the unconscious villain Static said ever so softly, "Why is it so hard to be a hero?"

Permafrost merely stood behind him, keeping her silence, knowing she didn't have the words to make the situation better.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grendel seemed to be having the hardest time against the shape-shifting Replikon, the villainous thug transforming his shape to quickly avoid the slower attacks of the massive monster, all the while countering with his own devastating blows.

Grendel was hurt and bleeding from nearly a dozen different locations, his body aching in response to the battle. He knew the plan; in fact he had helped smooth out many of the finer details once he learned the basics of it, but he realized fully that he was still too inexperienced using the massive body effectively in combat.

Even turning himself invisible did little to assist him, as his body still showed a mirror, illusionary shimmer whenever he moved. After being battered by the first few attacks, Replikon quickly learned to look for that.

Lashing once more with his massive claw, Grendel growled in frustration as Replikon turned himself into the image of Talon and flew from his reach before turning into RubberBand Man and extending his arm to punch the green-skinned Bang Baby.

That had seemed to be the weakness of Replikon as well. During the battle, Grendel had noticed that Replikon could only turn himself into forms that implemented physical attack, not energy. That would be how he'd defeat the shapeshifter.

Feigning defeat, Grendel heaved a heavy breath as he dropped to his hands and knees, watching the approach of his combatant. Having landed, Replikon reverted to his normal form as he approached, transforming his fist into a spiked club, much the way he observed done by the energy powered Shiv.

Grendel, however, had anticipated the confidence his opponent and quickly rose to his full height before bringing the hammers of his fist into the ground, causing a brief tremor within the chamber that knocked Replikon off his feet. Unbalanced by the unexpected attack, Replikon was soon greeted by the garbage can sized hand of Grendel as the Bang Baby used the might of his own, thickly muscled arm to lift the impersonator before bringing him hard into the floor of the chamber, the force of the attack driving Replikon into the crater that splintered the polished tile flooring.

Groaning in complete misery, Replikon had no time to react as he was again lifted and slammed once more into the unforgiving floor, as he was sent into unconsciousness.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Talon had quickly taken over the fight with the giant robot as RubberBand Man and Shebang moved to check the status of Gear. It was the obvious choice for Talon to battle Menace's robot, and was even agreed upon within the group. After all, the robot was designed to counter the heroes' powers…all except hers. It had been Alva's instructions that kept Dr. Menace from fixing the machine's immunity against his own team lest the good doctor turn it on him. It was Alva's practice to never give those who worked for him the power to oppose him. In this case however, it worked to Talon's advantage.

Shifting her body in midair as she dodged the thick forearm of the robot, Talon swooped into the path of the automation and ripped large chunks of metal with her deadly violent talons. The robot was not without self-defense however, and emitted an electrical discharge that shocked the feathered young woman until she was battered aside by the heavy arm of the android.

Intending to stand, Talon collapsed once more to her knees as she fingers immediately went to her right side, gripping her eyes shut against the pain. Pulling her hand away from her injury, she felt light-headed at the blood that covered her palm, knowing she had more than likely broken her ribs.

Against the pain causing her mind to threaten to shut down, Talon righted herself as she found the will to expel the full force of her sonic screech. Despite the pain that made her nauseous and dizzy, she maintained the attack, staggering the android until its circuits collapsed under the assault of the high-pitch screech that shattered the internal boards and scrambled the robot's sensory.

With a violent shake of its body as it took a final step, the android fell forward, its programming destroyed as if erased by sonic overload. Talon however, quickly joined the robot on the floor, however not before Shebang had caught her in her arms and lowered the feathered ally to the ground.

"You okay?" The martial artist asked, worriedly looking at the friend she had never expected from the former criminal.

Turning her head painfully to see the Static and the others move about the chamber, victorious in their plan, Talon allowed a smile to form on her face. "Yeah…never better."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static, Permafrost and RubberBand Man had all moved to address the now, still squirming Alva as the business owner looked both furious and mildly fearful with the realization that his team had been soundly defeated. Of course most of his anger was from the realization of how he had been most handedly played by Talon.

"I…I don't understand any of this," Alva said, his voice sounding far more feeble than he would have liked.

"You lost Alva, its not that hard to figure out." Static replied, the crooked smile that had become as much a trademark as his witty quips fixed to his face.

"Not that you fool, I don't understand why you would risk everything for this ruse? Why use Talon against me?"

"It was our Trojan Horse Alva," Static's smile quickly faded as he turned his face towards RubberBand Man before looking about the chamber at the rest of his friends, many of whom were badly hurt or injured. "I'm tired Alva, we all are." Static said simply, the fatigue he felt from the past few weeks of active duty coming upon him like a crushing weight and echoing from his voice.

"As much time as it took us to track down and defeat the Meta-Breed, we knew we couldn't succeed in only taking your team out one at a time. We had to fight them all at once. And beat them at one time. Otherwise, we'd have to keep battling in the streets, where innocent people could be harmed. Here, no one would get hurt, and we could stop you.

"Besides, we knew how you'd react to what we were planning as well. We knew your plan to take over the city once the mayor was ousted and had to act quickly or else we'd miss our moment of opportunity. So when Talon advised you to implement your attack, we '_allowed'_ ourselves to be captured…which brought us here, within striking distance of your entire organization."

"You took quite a gamble, trusting Talon, seeing as how she betrayed both the Breed and me," Alva replied, trying once more to free himself regardless of the known futility.

"Unlike you Alva, I trust my friends," Static replied, a smile again forming on his lips. "What was it you said? '_Predictability is mankind's greatest flaw.' _ Well Alva, that must make you the most flawed person on the planet, because everything you did we predicted."

"And so you used Talon to get you into my building and then release you?" Alva said, searching the hero before him with an appraising eye. "Why?"

"Because it worked," Talon said, having joined the group with Shebang's assistance. "You had already approached me Alva before Static ever talked to me. I immediately told him I was in contact with you and we all devised this plan. The only way we could pin this on you, for you to get the justice you deserve was to catch you in the act. It was my information that kept them prepared for the battle. I also suggested for Gear to hack your computer system, just so we knew exactly what you were planning. Besides, with my history, you were all too eager to think I'd willingly join you, never really knowing that the reason I was a criminal to begin with was it was my only thought on how I could survive like this." Talon said, grimacing in pain as she drew several painful breaths before continuing. "And for the record, Static didn't use me, I volunteered. Because unlike you, _Mr_. Alva, he gave me the choice of how I wanted to live. That alone, earned my loyalty and my trust."

Alva fell silent for several moments, piecing together the implications of being outmaneuvered by the children before him. Not only had he unknowingly fallen for their ruse, but his team, taken by surprise, was overpowered as well. Nevertheless, a smile a satisfaction still creased his aged features.

"You can't prove anything," the elderly businessman said, knowing he had rekindled his spirited fire. "All the information you have on me was obtained illegally. The District Attorney could never move against me knowing that the information would be thrown out of court. I could simply say I was held hostage here against my will. After all, public opinion regarding you isn't the highest right now while I'm seen as the Dakota's favorite son. What do you have to say about that?"

"Say cheese," Static replied, falling silent once more before fumbling with the top button of his coat before giving a slight tug on the fastener, pulling it free from the material and holding it between his thumb and forefinger for Alva to see. Likewise, every friend gathered in the semi-circle around the corrupt tycoon removed a similar device. "A gift from Shelley Sandoval. You'd be surprised how tiny they make camera's now a days."

"Smile Alva," Shebang said, "Your on Static Camera."

"Yep," RubberBand Man added, "It's being fed through a wireless remote where Shelley will air it for the entire city to see."

"And I imagine the fall of the great Edwin Alva would make quite an expose for the news station." Static replied before placing the button in his pocket for safekeeping, knowing all the information they needed to move for an indictment had been obtained. "Its as Shelley told me, wars are won with information, and we had more than enough to with this one Alva."

Eyes going wide in realization that he had implemented himself by his mere presence, Alva strained against the bindings holding him before another statement nearly stopped his heart.

"We're not done yet Alva," Gear remarked, holding his head as he struggled to join his friends. "The documents we printed from your computer files may not have been of any use against you in a court of law, but I'm sure your shareholders will be interested in knowing how you embezzle from your own company to fund your private agenda. I don't think they'd be at all happy with knowing that you've hindered their stock prices with your actions."

"You…you can't do this to me!" Alva screamed, thrashing violently against the bindings. "I'll spend the rest of my life in prison!"

"For what you've done to me," Permafrost said, her silent, shy demeanor giving way to a frosty anger that caused the businessman to stare frightfully at the young woman, "I'd say that's not enough time. I only wanted to see you pay for what you've done to me…"

Static's calming hand rested on the young woman's shoulder, squeezing it slightly in a show of support. "It's okay Maureen, he'll never hurt anyone again."

"Besides Alva," the large form of Grendel said, speaking at the businessman. "We haven't done anything to you…you did it all to yourself. As its written, 'for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction'."

"Or as I like to say, Karma is a swift kick to head." Shebang said, still supporting Talon as she smiled despite the bruise forming on her cheek.

"Whichever," Static responded, turning his back and walking towards the exit that he unsealed, followed by his friends. "He'll have quite a long time to think about it. But think about this too Alva," Static said as he paused and spoke to the trapped businessman over his shoulder. "The future is not yours to create, its ours."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once outside, Static opened his communications Shock Vox and spoke into it, "Shelley, did you get all?"

"Every bit of it." The voice called from the other side of the speaker. "Good job you guys. I'll owe you all a dinner for this."

Chuckling at the remark Static answered. "We'll be looking forward to it. And thanks for everything Shelley."

Returning the Shock Vox to his pocket, Static turned to address his friends. "Is everyone okay?" He asked worriedly, his eyes immediately looking to the bloody spot on Talon's side and Gear who still held his head in pain.

"Nothing a bit of sleep won't cure," the tech genius remarked, failing to mention that he hadn't slept since the emergence of his new powers.

"Don't worry about this," Talon responded, a painful smile forming on her lips as tried to ease the worry on the young man's mind. "Shenice's folks said I have a heightened healing attribute as one of my powers. I should be bright as rain in a couple of days." Turning a grateful smile towards the martial artist who had not left her side since the defeat of the robot. Teresa was never good at making friends, and despite all of Shenice's talents, neither was she. It seemed almost fitting that the two outcasts should become friends. If only they could do the same for Maureen, then maybe being an outcast wouldn't be so bad.

"And just for the record," Talon said, fixing Static with her piercing eyes. "I meant every word I said in there. When I turned back into this, you were the one who gave me hope Static. No one's ever given me that. So I mean it when I say that you have my trust…and my loyalty. And I can't tell you how glad I am that you trusted me enough during this whole thing…"

Raising a hand to silence Talon's wishful confession, Static shook his head while smiling warmly at the young woman. "I meant what I said too Teresa, I trust my friends." Walking over to the young woman, Static summoned his flying disc and stepped on it before lifting her into his arms. "We'll get you back to the Civic Center where you can rest up then." Then turning back to the remainder of his friends he said. "Let's go, they'll be wanting to know we won."

Launching himself into the air with Talon, the thought came unbidden to his mind. '_The future is ours, and I will protect it with all I have_.' Turning his head to watch his friends following him he smiled brightly for the first time in weeks. '_We all will_.'

-End


	20. Epilogue: Once Upon a Dream

A/N: This is it…the final, concluding element to what has been my most ambitious fan fiction piece to date. But first, I'd like to thank the many reviewers who read and encouraged me to continue this story. Without you, it may have been a floundering story at best. You all are the ones I've written this story for…and I can only hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as I have. Thank you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Static Force: Epilogue

Once Upon a Dream

Static shook his head in mild disbelief as he sidestepped the many computer components and modules that littered the ground and nearly every available free space within the Gas Station as he made his way into the heart of the headquarters. Since the battle with Alva and his Meta-Superior, Gear had taken the opportunity to salvage every piece of computer equipment from Alva's war room for the sole purpose of "evaluating the enemies resources." Neither the fact that Alva was no longer in a position to be considered an "enemy" nor the fact that Gear had no interest in returning the Cray computer network to the authorities was inconsequential. The system was currently being rewritten and would be put to use as the heroes newest resource against crime, for the technical applications of the Cray were limitless.

The cluttered mess however had been only a brief distraction from the day-to-day operations of the team, as their jobs were far from over. Helping to rebuild the city and contain the surge of violence resulting from the war between the Meta-Humans was not an easy task, but much more enjoyable in comparison to battling the Meta-Breed or outsmarting Alva.

It had been two weeks since Alva's defeat, the corruption of the corporate business leader resulting in an uncontrollable tide of interest among the news carriers as they tried to lay claim on breaking the story and covering the greater details of his fall from grace. In that time, the city was relatively in shambles. Discredited by the news reports shown, Mayor Godfree was forced from office, an interim mayor however had not yet been named. Meanwhile, the district attorney was working on a case against Alva, however the big news was that the current Chairman of the Board of Directors for Alva Industries would take Alva's position as C.E.O. until the Board could select a new Chairman.

Likewise, it had been one week to the day that Grendel had used the formula Gear had concocted and reverted back to his human form. Nigel Saunders was returning to Gotham after all, and couldn't allow his parents to see what he had become. But he offered them a small smile before leaving, and a promise he would return if they needed.

It was only later that Gear informed the team the reversal potion was only a partial mixture, and that Nigel wanted more to control over his power than simply to remain the beast at all times. Thus, Grendel was not forever sealed away within the boy, but would return when it would become necessary.

Talon, however, was another matter all together. As promised, Static offered her the serum to turn her human once again, but she graciously refused. Even now, remembering the conversation brought a smile to his young features.

As she held the Bang Baby cure in her clawed hands, Talon shook her head sadly before handing it back. "I…I don't want it."

_A look of confusion passed between Static and Gear as the tech genius took the test-tube. "I don't get it Teresa, you said you wanted to be human again, and I think you've more than repaid your debt."_

_The feathered young woman, however, merely smiled at the kindness that her friends showed. "I'm not so sure about that. I've done so many things wrong in my life. But…over the past couple of months, fighting to make people safe and trying to save the city, this has been the only time I've ever felt I've done anything right. Call me silly, but I don't want to give that up."_

"_Then, what about the half-cure; like the one Nigel…"_

"_No," Talon said, her smile growing slightly sorrowful as she interrupted Gear's bequest. "In order for me to remember all the wrongs I've done, I have to remember who I am at my heart. And for that, I have to realize who I really am. I won't find that by changing between Teresa and Talon, I will only find that by finding Teresa within Talon."_

"Gear," Static said, his mind quickly returning to the present as he nearly tripped over the skeletonized remains of one of the many computer towers. "Can't you put away your toys? Where are we supposed to put all this stuff anyway?"

Gear however, waved his hand in silent irritation, all the while his head still buried inside the massive frame of the Cray networking system. Rather, it was Shebang who spoke up. "Well, whatever all this junk will be good for, I'm just glad all of this is over."

"No kidding," RubberBand Man said, leaning lightly against the far wall, his eyes partially closed as if debating between staying awake and falling asleep. "And I say good riddance to both the Meta-Breed and the Meta-Superior. I'd rather not fight them again if I can help it."

"Unfortunately I don't think it's going to be that easy." Gear said, finally dissociating himself with the computer as he turned to address his friends.

After a moment's silence, Talon finally asked the burning question, arching an eyebrow in curiosity as she did so. "Are you going to enlighten us Gear?"

Taking a breath to prepare for the worst, Gear replied. "I found out that the District Attorney rejected our request to revert the Meta-Breed and Meta-Superior to humans and is moving for a conviction of the Bang Babies. He believes that most citizens of Dakota will think the Bang Babies were under the influence of their powers and driven mad by it and…might…be sympathetic towards them should they be charged as humans for the crimes they did while they were Bang Babies. So…it's safe to assume that we'll be forced to battle Ebon, Omnifarious, Hotstreak and all the others again someday. Its only a matter of time."

A collective sigh of disbelief, coupled with the fear and fatigue resulting from the past couple of months echoed from every person's lips, each trying hard not to imagine fighting the battles all over again.

"So," Permafrost said, her eyes moving shyly as the collective heroes turned to look at her. "We will have to fight again?" Of all the friends to stay, Static was most surprised that Maureen had opted to do so, however she confessed to him privately that she truly had no place to go, and as Maureen O'Connor, she was weak and a victim, but as Permafrost, she could at least choose for herself. So, with Static's blessing, she would remain in the Power Pad, until she willingly trusted the team enough for them to find other accommodations. However, Static had felt a great swell of pride as Talon and Shebang tried just that, to get Permafrost to trust. In time, they all believed she would learn they would not betray her, but that would come eventually.

"Yeah," Static said, fatigue echoing from his voice as his eyes shifted from the members of his team to the computer components to the floor of the gas station. A wave of déjà vu washed over him as he realized where the numerous components would soon find a home. The heroes had, after all, outgrown the gas station. "Yeah, I don't think our battles will ever be over. But at least now we can be prepared. And we'll protect our home…together."

End

A/N: Another note regarding my OC, technically I don't like Original Characters but I needed someone to balance Static's team a bit. In my creation of Grendel however, I seemed to have messed up. Grendel was originally meant to be the strategist for Static's team, however I basically forced him into the team to tie up the loose end, and by that time, he just sort of became another body in the battle.

I had actually considered writing up a sequel to this. _Static Force: World Tour_, where they all go around the country fighting crime and teaming up with various other groups: the Teen Titans, Justice League, TMNT, Nightwing, Batman, Superman and others. If I did that, then I'd bring Grendel back in that regard. Anyway, this epilogue was short and sweet, but also made reference as to why Static built that kick ass base seen in Future Shock. Heh. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed.


End file.
